ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Pakistani-born U.S. citizen pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges he attempted to help people he thought were al-Qaida operatives bomb the Washington Metro transit system.
Farooque Ahmed's jury trial was scheduled for April 11. Ahmed, 34, was arrested last month after a federal sting. The people Ahmed believed were al-Qaida members were actually undercover law enforcement officers, authorities said.
Court documents show authorities seized a pistol, a shotgun and two rifles from Ahmed's Ashburn home as well as a CD recording of a lecture from radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki and a pamphlet labeled "What does Islam say about terrorism?"
Al-Awlaki, believed to be hiding in Yemen, was linked to last year's shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, and the attempted bombing of a U.S.-bound flight last Christmas.
Prosecutor Gordon Kromberg said he thinks the government can present its case to the jury within two days. He cautioned, though, that there was classified evidence in the case, and if either side wants to present some of it to the jury, it could complicate or prolong the case.
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