Brit-Pakistani planning attacks on Washington?

British Terror Suspect Had U.S. Images

By MARK SHERMAN, Associated Press Writer

Saturday, November 5, 2005

(11-05) 05:08 PST WASHINGTON, (AP) --

A terror suspect arrested in England had images of the Capitol and other Washington landmarks on his computer, according to federal authorities, who were skeptical that an attack on the nation's capital was being planned.

Younis Tsouli, 22, was one of three men charged with a variety of terrorism offenses. One of the charges against Tsouli alleges that a video stored on the hard drive of a computer in his bedroom showed how to make a car bomb and another showed a number of places in Washington.

The charge sheet did not name the places. However, a U.S. law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity Friday, said the Capitol was among the locations contained in short video clips.

Terrance Gainer, chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, discounted the idea of a serious threat to the Capitol.

"I don't believe there's any direct threat to the Capitol," he said. "I believe that's shared by the intelligence community."

FBI Assistant Director John Miller said the investigation was continuing. "There is no credible indication of any imminent threat at this time," Miller said.

A U.S. counterterrorism official who also spoke on condition of anonymity said investigators believe the men may have been involved in "jihadist bravado."

The law enforcement and counterterrorism officials asked not to be identified because the investigation is continuing.

Tsouli, Waseem Mughal, 22, and Tariq Al-Daour, 19, made a brief appearance Friday in a London court, speaking only to confirm their names and ages. Judge Daphne Wickham ordered the three, all from the London area, to remain in custody until another court appearance Nov. 18.

Scotland Yard said the arrests were not linked to the July suicide bombings in London, which killed 56 people, including the four attackers.

Mughal was charged with 10 offenses, including conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to cause an explosion, conspiracy to obtain money by deception, fundraising and possession of articles for terrorist purposes.

One of the charges alleges that police found a DVD in Mughal's bedroom titled "Martyrdom Operations Vest." He is also charged with possessing a piece of paper with information about a recipe for rocket propellant and guidance on causing an explosion.

Police also allegedly found a piece of paper in his home with the Arabic phrase: "Welcome to Jihad."

Tsouli was charged with eight offenses similar to Mughal. Al-Daour was charged with three offenses.

The charge sheet also said the video on Tsouli's computer showed a CBRN "vehicle in circumstances which give rise to reasonable suspicion that your possession is for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism." CBRN stands for chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear. The charge sheet gave no further details of the places depicted and did not define a CBRN vehicle.

The FBI last week alerted local authorities about the information turned up by British police, the U.S. law enforcement official said.