Pentagon attack threat from C4 filled model aircraft.
It had to happen, Opensource autopilots and simple electric flying platforms. An exotic mix. Its not that hard to make something just as clever as the grown up stuff. That said, hands up all those that think this is an FBI entrapment exercise?
A 26-year-old Massachusetts man with a physics degree was arrested and charged Wednesday with plotting an attack on the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol with remote-controlled model aircraft, authorities said.
Rezwan Ferdaus, a U.S. citizen from Ashland, Massachusetts, planned to use model aircraft filled with C-4 plastic explosives, authorities said.
As a result of an undercover FBI investigation, Ferdaus, who has a physics degree from Northeastern University in Boston, was charged with attempting to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda for attacks on U.S. soldiers overseas, authorities said.
His federal public defender couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.
A law enforcement official said Ferdaus posed no immediate danger to the public because the undercover operative kept in close contact with him.
“There is no information to indicate he was connected to a foreign terrorist organization. It appears he was radicalized watching videos on the Internet. He was given the opportunity to back down, but he never wavered” from his intention to carry out the attacks, the source said.
The investigation also involved a cooperating witness, and authorities began recording conversations between that witness and Ferdaus in January, authorities said.
Ferdaus began planning a violent “jihad” against America in early 2010, authorities said, and he began supplying the FBI undercover agents with cell phones rigged to act as electric switches for improved explosive devices, intended to be used to kill U.S. soldiers overseas.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/28/us/massachusetts-pentagon-plot-arrest/
Update 29th September
The FBI affidavit is now online http://intelwire.egoplex.com/Ferdaus-Affidavit.pdf
Between May and September 2011, with funds provided to him by the FBI, Ferdaus acquired the following: an F-86 Sabre remote-controlled aircraft; 25 pounds of C-4 explosive; six AK-47’s; and grenades. In addition, using a number of different aliases, including “Dave Winfield,” Ferdaus obtained a false PayPal account, rented a storage facility, and explained his purposes for ordering the aircraft for his nonexistent son. The AK-47’s would be used to “carry out the rest” of the plan to “take care of the politicians.” His plan was to assemble six people in two teams to “open up on them” and take out everyone. Ferdaus also planned to set aside nine pounds of C-4 to blow up bridges surrounding the Pentagon, presumably to hinder the efforts of first responders.
