A Pakistani-American was arrested Wednesday for plotting attacks on subway stations in and around Washington with people he believed were tied to al Qaeda, US officials said. Farooque Ahmed, 34, who lived in the Virginia suburbs of Washington, had been allegedly casing and photographing subway stations since April to plan simultaneous bomb attacks.
"Farooque Ahmed is accused of plotting with individuals he believed were terrorists to bomb our transit system, but a coordinated law enforcement and intelligence effort was able to thwart his plans," David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security told reporters. The White House said swiftly the US public was never in any danger from the alleged plot, and that President Barack Obama had been aware of it before Ahmed's arrest.