US man charged in aerial bomb plot on Washington

BOSTON, Massachusetts: A US man was arrested Wednesday on charges of planning to fly explosive-packed, remote controlled airplanes into the Pentagon and the Capitol in Washington, authorities said.

Rezwan Ferdaus, 26, was arrested and charged with the aerial bombing plot and attempts to deliver bomb-making materials for use against US troops in Iraq, US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said in Boston.

"The conduct alleged today shows that Mr Ferdaus had long planned to commit violent acts against our country, including attacks on the Pentagon and our nation's Capitol," Ortiz said.

During the alleged plot, undercover FBI agents posed as accomplices who supplied Ferdaus with one remote-controlled plane, C4 explosives, and small arms that he allegedly envisioned using in a simultaneous ground assault in Washington.

However, "the public was never in danger from the explosive devices, which were controlled by undercover FBI employees," the FBI said.

Ferdaus was arrested in Framingham, near Boston, immediately after putting the newly delivered weapons into a storage container, the FBI said.