A Northern Virginia man charged with plotting the destruction of Metro stations told contacts he assumed were al Qaeda terrorists that the best hour to strike the transit targets would be between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to “cause the most casualties,” according to federal authorities.
Farooque Ahmed, 34, of Ashburn, was arrested as part of an FBI sting operation. Prosecutors say that he conducted surveillance and recorded video of three Metrorail stations in Virginia. He then gave the footage of Arlington Cemetery, Court House and Pentagon City stations to persons posing as terrorists, according to an indictment unsealed Wednesday in federal court in Alexandria.
The indictment also says Ahmed, a U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, suggested a fourth attack at the Crystal City station and completed surveillance there.
The attacks were planned for 2011, according to the indictment. But officials stressed that the public was not in danger because the FBI was aware of Ahmed and was monitoring him.
Ahmed is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility, and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
He had an initial court appearance Wednesday and asked for a court-appointed attorney. A lawyer had not been assigned by early Wednesday evening.
He is in custody pending a detention and preliminary hearing, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
The indictment says Ahmed’s meetings with people he thought to be al Qaeda and his surveillance at Metro stations began in mid-April and continued through this week.
The FBI said reports that Ahmed came to their attention after he tried to buy suspicious materials were “speculation.” The bureau declined to give further details.
He was arrested Wednesday in Herndon and faces up to 50 years in prison if convicted.
Law enforcement officials emphasized that there was no imminent threat of an attack, but still described the case as alarming.
“It’s chilling that a man from Ashburn is accused of casing rail stations with the goal of killing as many Metro riders as possible,” said Neil H. MacBride, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia.
David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security, said the case “underscores the need for continued vigilance against terrorist threats and demonstrates how the government can neutralize such threats before they come to fruition.”
Several Metro riders also found the case to be startling but said that wouldn’t change their habits.
“It’s unfortunate that someone would target a place where innocent people are trying to get back and forth from work and home, but there are people like that in the world and we just have to be vigilant and do as much as we can to protect ourselves,” said Michael Granger, a frequent Metro rider.
Andrew Harnik of The Examiner contributed to this report.
