they had been watching amine el- khalifi for a long time. according to federal agents, when he arrived at the capitol this morning, 29-year-old amine el-khalifi thought he was going to carry out a suicide attack. he was carrying what he thought was an automatic rifle and a best filled with explosives. >> that is right across the street. i am right here. >> it turned out to be an fbi sting. agents gave him the gun and explosives which were both duds. they arrested him moments after he arrived on the grounds. >> it make you feel good. >> documents revealed that it was the culmination of a yearlong investigation of the moroccan national. he was living here illegally. he thought he was working with al qaeda and he had built bombs and tested them in west virginia. in court, prosecutors said he had devised a plan to set off an explosive device at a local restaurant but changed his plan to a suicide attack on the capitol building. he discussed his plans with a group that gathered in arlington. the fbi raided the arlington home and confiscated numero

those who live near amine el khalifi tell me he had very little interaction with others. >> it's quite scary actually. >> reporter: neighbors of accused terrorist amine el khalifi react to the moroccan man's arrest. agents spent the afternoon searching his alexandria condominium. neighbors say the 29-year-old had little reaction with him, but others reacted to the news of the foiled terror plot. >> it's the world we live in, especially post 9/11. you have to be very alert and just thankful to god that no one was hurt. >> reporter: the pointe condominium complex is gated, perhaps giving some who live here a false sense of security, says one long time resident. >> i've lived here 12 years and i've never seen or heard of anything like this. >> just the idea that one of the people that lives around here would be involved in something like that is really spooky. >> reporter: government officials believe amine el khalifi was a lone wolf and not a member of al qaeda. he had been monitored for several months while he expressed the desire to bomb a military base or synagogue. he later settled f

this particular family is being investigated for a separate incident, not in connection with amine el khalifi or the alleged terrorism plot that happened earlier today. again, separate incident. we know that this family apparently did have some type of relationship with el khalifi, but they are not correlated. investigators are putting back what looks to be just droves of shoeboxes back into a shed in the backyard. live in south arlington, back to you. >> erica, thank you. >>> nbc news chief justice correspondent pete williams has been track thing story all afternoon. >> i understand this guy went to a rock quarry to try to demonstrate how bad he wanted to be. >> the sequence of events, according to the fbi and court documents, starts a year ago when the fbi gets a tip that he's interested in trying to mount an attack against the u.s. he's interested in guns and jihad. then the whole thing ratchets up in december when he begins meeting with people he thinks are al qaeda operatives but who are fbi undercover operatives. according to investigators, he said he wanted to try to blow up a restaura

law enforcement officials tell us they've identified him as 29-year-old amine el khalifi. they say he's from morocco will you lives in alexandria, virginia. agents were searching his home this afternoon. he was arrested today just blocks from the u.s. capitol after he put on what he thought was a vest containing explosives. that vest contained inert material. that is, not explosive. and he was dealing with undercover fbi operatives for months. fbi officials say he had been under close observation for just that long and they believe he in fact did act alone. we'll have live team coverage including a report from inside his gated community. >>> final preparations are under way for whitney houston's funeral tomorrow. aretha franklin and stevie wonder will perform. you can watch it live on nbc washington nonstop and we'll stream it on nbcwashington.com. proceedings are scheduled to begin around noon. >>> and overall, the big indexes logged gains for the week. the dow gained 45 points today, finishing about 50 points shy of the 13,000 mark. the nasdaq closed down at 9,951. and t

fox 5's audrey barnes. >> looking back at the year amine el khalifi stayed in his arlington apartment building the landlord said he feels one thing, grateful he finally got him out and he says he was not surprised to learn khalifi is suspected of a terrorist act against the united states. >> i knew it. i just knew it. i was glad to get rid of him. >> reporter: that was landlord frank dendo's reaction after learning one of his former tenants is accused of a terrorist act. he said a bulgarian woman rented the place and khalifi later moved in. there was trouble from the start. >> he was hostile. he mentioned to me he would not be paying any rent and i couldn't do anything about it and that he threatened to physically harm me. >> reporter: police responded quickly to the two-story apartment building. before they reached the top floor and apartment 6 where khalifi lived the landlord said he warned the officers about him. >> i mentioned to the arlington department i had a feeling he might be up to some suspicious activity like making bombs in his apartment. >> reporter: things went from bad

. >> federal authorities say 29- year-old amine el khalifi was determined to carry out a deadly attack. he wanted to bring down the u.s. capitol with explosives or at minimum kill himself and at least 30 people. authorities say el khalifi wanted to be a martyr, the first suicide bomber on u.s. soil. the moroccan native appeared in federal court friday afternoon. i didn't speak. his terrorist -- he didn't speak. his terrorists plotting began in january of 2011. over the course of the year el khalifi met with the people he thought were with al-qaeda but who were really undercover federal agents. he talked to them about his desire to carry out an attack on federal targets from an office being occupied by u.s. military to a synagogue and then a restaurant frequented by military officials. el khalifi settled on an attack on the capitol african vassing the area several times. -- after can slag the area several times. he went -- canvassing the area several times. went to a quarry to test out explosives, asked for a bigger bombs and asked if the explosives could try an entire building. they sa

fbi agents began their operation after they learned a moroccan man in this country illegally, amine el khalifi said the war on terrorism was a war on muslims and reportedly wanted to strike back. according to the criminal complaint, by december of last year, el khalifi had begun gathering what he thought were his instruments of destruction including automatic weapons and firearms and said he wanted to quote kill people face to face but he didn't know he had enlisted the help of federal agents. targtsz were being considered, places where military brass could be hit with the most effectiveness and eventually settled on setting off a bomb at the capitol viszto tovisitors c. all the while, he thought he was being supplied but with explosives that did not work and said he was in a league with al qaeda. they did express some degreg of leif thof -- degree of relief this plan was thwarted. >> that's good. the fbi had infiltrated and i was explained he was give an phony weapon. it works. the system works, that's good. other than that, life is normal. >> reporter: there was a subsequent raid conducted a

many people are asking about the suspect, amine el-khalifi. what was he planning? m glad nothing happened. ago, the world learned about the rest of amine and his plans for a suicide bombing. >> it is always a thread. in a city that is such a target. >> the 29-year-old moroccan kill as manyed to governmentd as he killed. >> whether it be over the or by another individual. >> but his plans were part of a yearlong fbi sting operation. the supposedly al qaeda contacts were undercover agents. they met with them at this arlington house. renderedns had been harmless by agents. >> it allows you to build the case and it allows you to a lone wolf.he is >> the fbi is now investigating other associates. >> i feel nobody should have been injured. glad it was intercepted. >> on an outing with his toddler daughter, this man says cases like these are a fact of life in the nation's capital. >> i think it is a good thing. >> folks to lived near that arlington house said the residents have not harmed anybody, but they are well known in the neighborhood. nobody else has been charged in

amine el-khalifi... was arrested on friday... on pis way to carry out his attack.but it turns ouu people were never in any danger.for the last year... el khalifi thought he was meeting with al-qaida associates, but it was all part of an unnercover sting. federal agents were monitoriig him... and waited for him to attempt an attack before moving in to arress him. meanwhile.. things community in alexandria.... where it's believed el-khalifi was living. it just goes to show you ou never know who your neighbors a. are. court apers show the targets of the attempted attack included a restaurant and a synagogue. it's your last day to get those eeergy efficient items in maryland with no state tax. joel d. smith is at best buy in towson, to show you how to save even more, if you act today. good morning joel d. - 3 3 3 women under 30... are having more kids out of wedlock. that's according to an article in the new york times.tte research group "child trends"... finds caucasian women in their 0's... who have some college education but noo a

el ciudadano marroqui, amine el khalifi, arrestado por la policia y el fbi en una operacion encuenbierta la semana pasada. comparecio hoy ante un juez federal. el khalifi, renuncio a sus derechos de audiencia preliminar y de detencion, por lo que el juez ordeno que permanezca en custodia. leerle la audiencia per; limonar y decirle de que lo arrestaron no va a facilitar el proceso para el acusado. el acusado quiere que el caso proceda rápido para que eventualmente pueda salir de la cárcel si fuera inocente. en este caso vamos a tener que proceder ahora directamente al primer paso. el juez john anderson, oredno mantener al asospechoso bajo arresto debido a la seriedad de los cargos. hasta comaprecer a un gran jurado. de declararse no culpable, tendra lugar el juicio. lo único que puede hacer el es tratar de convencer al jurado de que si no hubiera sido por la influencia de la presion que le pusieron por parte de la policía que el no tenia la disposición de cometer un crimen. y si el logra comprobar eso, el puede quedar absuelto de los cargos. segun el abogado malouf el gobierno tiene bases

amine el khalifi is accused of threatening to detonate a suicide best in the capitol building. he did not know he was part of an undercover fbi sting. >> the four gop presidential candidates will debate each other tonight in arizona. it is the last one before super tuesday and the stakes are high. rick santorum has the edge in both states, making him a prime target in tonight's debate. >> i went out and check on the tough issues, medicare medicaid social security. i was the leader. >> i do not think his track record is that a fiscal conservative. >> mitt romney will try to get his campaign back on course today. the arizona and michigan primaries are less than one week away. >> coming up this is about my english first and let me find a way to school someone else. >> a new law sparking controversy. >> commuter disaster -- a train slammed into a platform of hundreds on board. >> and a new warning about heart attacks and young women. >> all of that plus the forecast. what a great day in the nation's capital. very seasonal and pushing 60 ♪ >> new orleans biggest party of the year is

el khalifi -- amine el khalifi is due back in court. he was arrested friday in a d.c. parking garage. prosecutors say he was headed to the capitol with the intent of blowing himself up inside it. authorities say el khalifi thought he was meeting with al qaeda operatives but it was all part of a year-long f.b.i. undercover investigation. prosecutors say the weapon he was given -- the weapons he was given were duds. >>> rick santorum is leading the g.o.p. presidential hopefuls in the polls but former massachusetts governor mitt romney is the money leader. >> since announcing his bid for the white house, romney has raised almost $64 million. susan mcginnis has more. >> it's great to be at the heartland. >> reporter: rick santorum was joined by his family at a campaign stop in grand rapids, michigan. >> we get a chance to spend some time together this week. >> reporter: santorum is leading in the polls and talking like a front-runner. he ignored his republican rival focusing his attacks on president obama. >> whose side is he on is the question? we need someone who is on yo

amine el-khalifi-- was aarested on is way to carry out his attack. things are also returning to normal at a gatee coomunity in alexandria.... where it's at some point. it justtgoes to show you you never know who your neighbors a. are. phere wws still a heavy poliie presence in d-c.federal agents had monitored el-khalifiifor more than a year... before 3 slow start.fluuseason is since we''e had a flu season n - start this late.... and just stealing from theesupermaakett store...and theevideo that shhww the culppit in the act and how authorities tracked him ddwn.. ,3 3 health officials say the flu season is finally here-- the years.until this month, thhre weren't nough flu cases in tte u.s. to siinal the start usually starts in december or why this seaaon was slow, but it cculd be a combination of factors.so farrthe flu vaccine seems well-matched to the ptrains making peopleesick. 3 when news breaks.. you can access the latest information right on youu ceel phone. download the fox45 mobile news app ffr your droid or i-phonn. it includes headlines.. traf

we have more from washington. >> amine el khalifi's former landlord in northern virginia thought the man he wassenning an apartment to before he had him convicted was making bombs inside because he kept receiving boxes with labels that said books were inside but he wasn't buying it. >> it just aroused my interest. i said something is going on, not right. so i reported it. >> the ten page report against him lays out his chilling plot that ended with el khalifi walked out of a parking lot believing that the vest he was wearing contained a functioning bomb, not knowing that the bomb and the mac-10 automatic weapon he was carrying had been rendered inoperable by law enforcement. furthermore the complaint alleges that el khalifi sought to blow himself up in the u.s. capital building. he allegedly believed he was working with al-qaeda and devised the plot, the target and the methods on his own. plots like this, according to the chairman of the house homeland security committee, reveals that radicals have askewed ideology. >> there's no doubt to me the extremists definitely believe the russ

amin el khalifi was arrested friday. agents gave him an inoperable bomb and gun.eaded to the capitol thinking he would blow himself up inside. he's charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against federal property. if indicted and convicted, he could face life in prison. >>> this morning, president obama will help kick off construction of the new national museum of african-american history and culture. he'll sfooek groundbreaking ceremony at 10:00. the museum will house artifacts from famous african-americans. it's scheduled to open in 2015 on the national mall at 14th and constitution avenue. >>> and because of all that, it's going to be tough to get around the national mall. there will be street closures. the streets affected are adjacent

busted an fbi sting 21 year-old moroccan national faced a judge this afternoon in washington amine el khalifiday in a garage blocks from capitol with a bomb vest and a gun for from people he thought were al qaida operatives but they were undercover agents rendered the best inoperable. ready to start a suicide mission >> criminal investigation he was not just ready to think he was ready to move to the fact he is wearing a suicide vest convincing a jury this guy would act on what he believed >> also searched the suspect's home in virginia living illegally on an expired visa and 40 say under surveillance for several months. pop star whitney houston laid to rest tomorrow private funeral at the new hope baptist church in new jersey 1500 will be there including oprah winfrey beyonce and jay z. no word yet on ex-husband bobby brown will attend but suppose to be there is a very stormy relationship fans showing up outside the church leaving flowers and candles in her honor. streaming to the federal live on our website also watch on c ltv. wgntv.com coming up what you want in government? new poll looki

he has been named as amine el khalifi, a man out moroccan extraction and a legal immigrant. he was arrested a few blocks away from the capitol building which houses the u.s. congress. he was wearing what he thought was a vast packed with explosives that he planned to set off. they were fake and have been supplied by the fbi to him. that is why the fbi said there was never any danger to the public. he had been under surveillance for about a year or so. >> he was carrying fake explosives. is this another sting operation? >> that is the way it looks. this is when a suspect comes to the attention of the fbi and the fbi allows the suspect to continue plodding, making their plans and in some cases, they facilitate those plans in order to facilitate a stronger convictions. these are operations that have been used quite a lot by the fbi in recent years and have secured some very high-profile convictions. a man was sentenced to 23 years in prison after one such operation. despite misgivings on the part of some muslim and human-rights groups, the courts seem to like these quite a lot.

investigators say 29-year-old amine elk -- khalifi tried to suicide a suicide vest. dutch ruppeersberger says he was be -- ellifi was acting as lone wolf. >> it's difficult to determine who the lone wolves are if we don't get tips. that's why it's important to law ep forcement and state and local and federal. and individuals when they see something, that looks awry, we need to contact law enforcement officials. >> el khalifi was arraigned in federal court in alexander yesterday afternoon and is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against u.s. property. a bail hearing is now set for wednesday. >>> the battle over same sex marriage bill in maryland house of delegates went -- end in win for supporters. yesterday -- ends in a win for supporters. yesterday delegate voted to pass the civil mearnlg protection average it will go to the senate -- civil marriage protection act. it will go to the senate now. >>> in less than five hours, whitney houston will be laid to rest and preparations are underway for houston's private funeral at new hope baptist church in newark new jersey. houston's god m

congress and just a few blocks away, the parking garage where amine el khalifi was arrested. he was wearing a vest the believed contained explosives from al qaeda but in fact it was harmless, supplied by undercover fbi agents. all part of a sting operation involving pages that had been monitoring him for more than a year. -- involving agents that had been monitoring him for more than a year. he appeared in court in virginia charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to detonate a bomb. if convicted, he faces life in prison. this is the latest in a series of similar operations. law-enforcement officials say at no time was there a threat to the public or the u.s. congress. >> and telling police say they have seized fake u.s. bonds worth six trillion dollars in what they believe is the biggest counterfeit operation of its kind. this equals half of the entire u.s. national debt. >> they are calling this the largest ever seizure of its kind, fake u.s. treasury bonds worth a staggering six trillion dollars. and enough, the italian prosecutors say, to

amine el khalifi is a moroccan who planned to detonate what he thought were explosives. no one was in danger. armed robbers have stolen up to 60 ancient artifacts from the greek museum dedicated to the history of the are the olympics. the two men smashed the display cabinets after tying up and gagging a security guard. the greek culture minister has submitted his resignation over the incident. from a heist to an amazing counterfeit, italian police say they have seized a fake u.s. treasury bonds worth six trillion dollars. this is equal to half the entire u.s. national debt. they were hidden in false compartments of three safety deposit boxes. >> they are calling this the largest ever seizure of its kind, fake u.s. treasury bonds worth at six trillion dollars. enough to endanger the stability of the international credit system. it has emerged that they were found in these trunks in a warehouse in zurich back in january. the italian police helped the swiss colleagues make the find. this was a sophisticated plot that unfolds it across several countries. the authorities bega

capitol, tonight 29-year-old amine el khalifi is in federal custody after an fbi sting caught him as he launched a plan to shoot capitol police and blow up himself inside the capitol building, the details just filtering in. >> he thought he was plotting with al-qaeda operatives, but in reality it was with undercover fbi agents who insist the public was never at risk. el khalifi appeared in federal court in alexander this afternoon charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in a plot to shoot his way into the capitol and ignite a suicide bomb so he could kill people face to face. he was arrested in this parking garage near the capitol after accepting what he thought were a working machine gun and a functioning bomb laden explosive vest, both fake from undercover fbi agents who have been engaged in the sting over a year. federal documents say el khalifi devised the plot and methods purchasing himself ingredients for the suicide vest. >> the fact he's wearing a suicide vest would suggest to anyone including someone on the jury this guy was going to act on what he believ

the fbi arrested 29-year-old amine el khalifi this afternoon after a lengthy sting operation. we begin team coverage in the satellite center. gary has been following the development says all day long and now he has the very latest. >> the feds say he was motivated by the war on terror which he viewed as the war on muslims. undercover fbi agents posing as al-qaeda operatives strung him along for months as he planned a suicide attack that he wanted to stage personally so he could kill face to face. he appeared late this afternoon in federal court in alexandria where he was formally charged with exempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, a -- attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. el khalifi was arrested in this parking garage earlier today after wearing a vest filled with explosives and a machine gun he believed to be functional. he manned to shoot his way into the capitol -- planned to shoot his way into the capitol and detonate the suicide vest inside. feds say el khalifi personally purchased nails and other ingredients for that sue sued bomb, good evidence. >> we'v

capitol faced a federal judge dacht the judge found probable cause against 29-year-old amine el khalifi which means he will be detained until a jury -- grand jury can hear the case. federal officials say el khalifi wanted to attack military offices, a d.c. restaurant, a synagogue and his biggest target the u.s. capitol but he didn't know he was being tracked by the f.b.i. >>> developing tonight, we're approaching nine hours of deliberation in the uva murder trial. no decision from the jury. but the jury is keeping in close contact with the judge. fox 5's paul wagner has the latest from charlottesville. >> reporter: brian, this jury began deliberating at 9:23 this morning and at 5:00, they were asked by the judge how they were doing. they sent a note back saying basically they wanted to continue to work into the night. they said please check back with us in an hour or two. the judge said wee check at 6:00 -- he would check at 6:00. the question is are they going to continue into the night? are they going to get dinner or go home at some point and shay they -- and say they want to come ba

. >>> amine el khalifi was arrested friday. an agent posing as al-qaeda gave ill khalifi a vest -- el khalifi a vest packed with inoperable explosives and a gun. he took those items to the capitol. >>> metro wants your help to name the new silver line stations. >>> plus is this the future of food, hamburger grown in a test tube, details behind the experiment. check out the rundown. we're back. >> this is fox 5 news at 11:00. [ male announcer ]  technology accelerates at a relentless pace. anything not moving forward is moving backward. [ tires screech ] [ engine turns over, tires squeal ] introducing the 2013 gs. with the lexus enform app suite, the most connected information and communication technology available in an automobile. [ tires screeching ] the all-new 2013 lexus gs. there's no going back. >>> a heads up if you're a baby boomer. you might need to be required, at least might be required and need to get tested for hepatitis c. federal health officials are considering the one time check. the reason, 2/3 of people with

yesterday we learned that amine el khalifi, the man accused of bombing the capital on friday prayed at that mosque before his arrest. it is the same place that anwar al ala wa hi was. el khalifi was not a regular worshipper at that mosque. >>> still ahead here, is it safe to get your caffeine fix by inhaling it. >>> rick santorum is trying to explain what he meant when president obama had a, quote, phony theology. >>> and it turns out this is >>> the fd is looking into whether inhaleable caffeine is safe. it's for sale in massachusetts and new york. it's sold as a dietary supplement, but new york senator chuck shumer asked the fda to take another look. aero shot said it will cooperate with the review and its product is safe. >>> espn fired one employee and suspended another today for using offensive language referring to knicks phenom jer any lin. it was used in the mobile website on friday. it was also spoken by an espn news anchor. the anchor was suspended for 30 days. there was another use of the phrase on espn radio by a commentator who was not a network employee. jeremy lin hit th

. >> the washington, the capitol, and the suspect, amine applebee'elka li el khalifi. he was given a suicide vest and cell phone and rifle, both inoperable and provided by the fbi. they had been watching him since december and he had carried out a test explosion with the fbi in virginia. he is now charged with trying to carry out a weapon of mass destruction. >> the president was told of the arrest but for everyone else on the hill it came as a surprise. it disrupted the afternoon for everyone around constitution avenue. many were surprised to hear of the plot but most relieved by the outcome. >> it's pretty intense what's going on in this country and a lot of security and a lot of people are nervous. >> it's shocking to hear about it but pleasing to know they were on top of it. >> people inside the capitol were never evacuated or warned about anything. >> within minutes of the arrest, federal agents were raiding e a el khalifi's apartment in arlington. they caught up with his landlord. >> pretty much shock and feel. >> reporter: the fbi talked to neighbors after they

capitol is due in court. 29-year-old amine el khalifi was arrested friday in an f.b.i. sting. he thought he had bought a vest filled with explosives from an al qaeda operative. the weapons were fake, however, and that operative was an undercover f.b.i. agent. >>> we now know the name of the woman killed when her bmw went irborn and -- airborne and hit a kfc restaurant in maryland. she's 29-year-old helena luis smith. witnesses couldn't believe what they were seeing. >> i'd seen this car flying down the highway. >> the car coming all the way across so fast, i didn't even know it was a car. >> he was going maybe a hundred, 110. >> like a tornado. >> he was flipping, flipping, flipping, flipping. >> the girl that was inside the car came out. the car flipped one more time and landed on her. >> smith's passenger and a man in another vehicle were injured. less than a month ago state police allegedly clocked smith going 91 miles an hour on the inner loop near central avenue. at that time she was charged with driving on a suspended license. >>> 23-year-old ross thudberg of baltimore i

capital building was already in court by this afternoon the 29- year-old amine el khalifi was arrested near the capital building. as i say, went down this morning after he met with undercover agents who are posing as al qaeda operatives. they say he was planning to detonate what he thought was a suicide vest. investigators say that he was living in virginia on an expired visa and had been under surveillance. >> he wanted to put a bomb in a restaurant that was frequented by military officials. then he decided on the suicide bombing in the capital but again, i agree with everything that's been said. this was under watch by the fbi from the beginning. no one was ever at risk. >> authorities say el khalifi wanted to be the first suicide bomber on american soil. he is charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction against u.s. property. >>> president obama is now in washington state after his quick fundraising stop here in the bay area. he left sfo about 9:00 this morning with a final wave to the waiting press. today the president toured a boeing plant in seattle and watched so

. >>> what amine el khalifi didn't know is that undercover agents were in the operative who helped him just enough to get him indicted. gary nurenberg is here to show us how the plan came together and fell apart. >> reporter: this is a technique that the fbi has done before. help a terrorist plan an attack and stop him before he can pull it off, but in this case the guy kept changing his mind about what he wanted to do. el khalifi appeared in court late this afternoon charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, a crime that carries a potential penalty of life in prison. the moroccan native came to the teenager as 1999 and overstayed his visa and has been living in the country illegally ever since. the fbi has been watching him for more than a year as he tried to figure out what he wanted to do. on december 1st, he said he planned to attack an office building in alexandria partially used by the military and he wanted to kill face-to-face. on december 8th, he said he wanted to attack a synagogue or an army general. on december 15th he said he found a government building

according to the fbi, 29-year-old amine el khalifi, a moroccan national, wants to kill as many tourists and government employees as he could. the suspect was arrested here, only two blocks from the u.s. capitol. he parked his van. undercover agents posing as a allocaai al qaeda terrorists, gave him an automatic weapon. then, they pounced. this afternoon, they searched a home in suburban virginia, where el khalifi had met with undercover agents. >> it's scary. it makes you not want to trust people. >> reporter: the government's charges says el khalifi was angry because the u.s.'s war on terrorism was really a war on muslims. he also proposed targeting restaurants, and a synagogue. today, he settled on the bombing attack on the u.s. capitol. but it was all a sting. the fbi had been tipped off by an associate. agents supplied el khalifi with a vest of inert materials. the gun was rigged not to work. sources tell abc news, it's a sobering reminder there's a pool of disaffected people right here in the u.s., with little prompting, are willing to kill. so-called lone wolves, often radicalized

amine el khalifi is being held in federal prison. his next court appearance is set for wednesday. "this morning's" senior correspondent john miller, one of the nation's leading terrorism experts. john, does the government think khalifi was acting alone? >> they do, anthony, and they spent a good deal of time trying to find that out. one of the reasons this case spanned almost two years was they put an awful lot of effort trying to learn khalifi's network, his friends, his family, his contacts, his finances, to make sure that if they arrested him, they weren't leaving anyone behind, and they are fairly convinced that he was a lone wolf. >> mason: john, there's been a decline in these kind of cases over the past year. why do we think that's happening? >> i think there may be a number of factors. i mean, one factor may be cases like this are very discouraging to those who might be forward with a plot like this. but i think the other is the death of al qaeda's propaganda master, anwar awlaki, as well as the death in a similar drone strike of a person who ran their "inspire" magazine,

amine el-khalifi... was arrested on friday... ay to carry out his attack.but it turns out people were never in any danger.for the last year... el khalifi thought he was meeting with al-qaida associates, but it was all part of an undercover sting. federal agents were monitoring him... and waited for him to attempt an attack before moving in to arrrst him. meanwhile.. things have calmedddown at a gated community in alexandria.... where it's believed el-khalifi it just goes to show you you never know who your neighbors a. are. court papers show the targets of the attempted attack included a restaurant and a synagogue. it's your last day to get those energy efficient items in maryland with no state tax. tax. joel d. smith is at best buy in towson, to show you act today. good morning joel d. 3 3 3 new this morning... elizabeth smart is waking up a newlywed.the 24-year old got married in a private ceremony over the weekend... in haaaii. you may recall... smart made national headdines after being abducted from her utah home n 2002.9 mont

. >> amin el khalifi planned to detonate a suicide bomb vest while inside the capitol building. he was arrested friday. they say he had been plotting his attack for months but did not know he was part of an undercover fbi sting. >> a shooting spree started with a bracelet and ended with by people being shot. sam ford is a live from d.c. superior court with the story. >> by people are on trial at d.c. superior court for multiple murders -- five people are on trial and it started over a cheap piece of costume jewelry. 14 people had been shot, five fatally. the mayhem of march 2010 that left carnage across this neighborhood came to trial today and so did the families of many of the victims. [inaudible] >> in a packed court room, he said it started in this alabama avenue apartment after someone swiped a bracelet and he called his brother, orlando. with an ak-47 is shot into a car killing jordan howe and wounding two others. he were shot and wounded by one of his friends. the mayhem that followed was after orlando carter spotted mourners from his funeral on capitol street and sought

attorney neil mcbride says the complaint alleges that amine el khalifi sought to blow himself up in the.s. capitol building. he allegedly believed he was working with al qaeda and devised the target and methods on his own, according to the u.s. attorney in virginia here. mr. khalifi has just appeared in court. we're also told that fbi agencies and other authorities are searching a property not too far from here in arlington, virginia. not sure if that's his home or not, but searching a property in connection with this case. to recap some of the information we've been bringing you, he was arrested today, as he was attempting to get a suicide vest that he thought was operable. it was not. he was arrested by undercover law enforcement agents who had been tracking him for a couple months. they had given him in inoperable vest and a gun that was also inoperable. he was arrested today at a parking garage near capitol hill. >> brian todd, as always on the case for us. i'm sure we'll be getting back to you. i just want to make it clear. he thought he was working with al qaeda? but in fact he wa

investigators say that amine el khalifi wanted to detonate an explosive device inside the u.s. building. he was arrested on friday. >> making news in america's money, soaring oil prices and a box office draw. >> rob nelson has those stories and more. >> soaring oil prices. it was $105 a barrel last night partly because it runs as it will no longer export oil to britain and france, payback for sanctions imposed over its nuclear program. china will now allow more films from the u.s. and other countries as long as they are greedy or imax. that-- 3d or imax. preliminary figures show a safe house edging out the vow in the box office but it is still) george washington was worth half a billion dollars. thomas jefferson second with $200 million. mitt romney would only ranks second or third, if elected. >> time for a check of traffic and weather every ten minutes. >> let's start with lisa baden to get a look at what's happening on the roads. >> not much happening. 95 in virginia, it is very clear. 95 between richmond and springfield, in good shape on 395 as well. looks good on 395 in ma

. >> it was late this afternoon when we saw a first glance of amine el-khalifi as he appeared beforel let you know what we have learned from fbi sources as well as co

the fbi says 29-year-old amine el khalifi wanted to kill as many people as he could.e parked his van and met undercover agents. he was given an automatic weapon whabtd he thought was an explosive suicide vest. the fbi took him into cust zi and seized his fan. they searched a home in virginia where he met with undercover agents. >> it's scary. it makes you not want to trust people. >> reporter: prosecutors say that khalifi was angry because he thought the u.s. war on terrorism was war on muslims. the suicide vest, harmless. the gun, rigged not to work. the fbi has arrested more than 50 suspected rad dicals in the u.s. in the last three years. it's a sobering reminder there's a pool of dangerous so-called "lone wolves." somebody like khalifi won't come to the fbi's attention until it's too late. a big concern. >> we brought in jack cloonan for more. he was a member of the al qaeda squad here in new york city. thanks for coming in. >> sure. >> how much of a threat was this man really if he needed help from the federal officials to carry out the plot? >> i think the fbi h

amine el khalifi in the washington suburb of alexandria, virginia. he's accused of planning to wear a suicide vest and set it off at the u.s. capitol. investigators say he hoped to kill at least 30 people. officials said fbi posing as al qaeda operatives had him under surveillance since early december. at first he wanted to attack ju is synagogues. then he decided his target would be the capitol building, perhaps the underground visitor center likely to be crowded or u.s. senate office building. >> in previous cases we've seen suspects who wanted to detonate a device but do it from a distance. they didn't want to be suicide bombers. in khalifi's case, he wanted to be the martyr. >> a month ago he and undercover agents went to a quarry and set off explosives in kind of a practice run. around noon friday in a parking garage near the capitol, the undercover agents gave him a vest loaded with what he thought were explosives and a gun which turned o out to be inoperable. he was arrested as he walked toward the capitol. >> apparently his intention was to s