michael finton was arrested wednesday. armen keteyian reports. >> reporter: according to authority, the 29-year-old, a part-time cook, intended to blow up this building with a van pack what had what he believed was 23450erly one ton of explosives. as laid out in the criminal complaint, finton parked the van directly in front of the federal building. he then got into another vehicle where a co-con spir are aer to handed finton a cell phone and provided him with a number to call. which finton believed would detonate the purported bomb. but the bomb never went off. it was fake. his co-conspirator actually an fbi agent working undercover. finton was immediately arrested as part of an 18 month sting operation. >> he talked about a number of different targets including the fbi building, the deindicator police department in that is just one that he identified was important for him. >> reporter: finton is said to have idolized american john walker lindh, now in prison for 20 years for providing aid to the taliban. finton allegedly

which finton believed would detonate the purported bomb. ut about the the bomb never wen& off. it was fake. his coconspirator actually an f.b.i. agent working under cover. finton was immediately arrested as part of an 18-month sting operation. >> he talked about a number of different targets including the f.b.i. building, the decatur police department. this is just one he identified that was important for him. >> reporter: finton is said to have idolized american john walker lindh, now in prison for 20 years for providing aid to the taliban. finton allegedly went so far as to request military training in al qaeda camps in pakistan and afghanistan before ultimately settling on the federal courthouse as his primary target. back in 2001, under the name "to lead islam" he posted this message declaring himself an american muslim seeking to renounce my citizenship, writing he was aware of the fact that the u.s.a. will soon be killing muslims in america. >> ultimately, the government was right to pursue this individual to some degree, but it's a question of whether or not they facilit

they supplied finton with fake explosives. today, he was charged in the same courthouse he allegedly tried to blow up. if convicted, he faces life in prison. bee their thomas, abc news, washington. >>> and in a very similar case to that in springfield, illinois, just within the last few moments, we've learned that a man in dallas has been arrested for parking what he thought was a bomb outside a downtown dallas skyscraper. >>> president obama returned to the united nations today and spoke of his vision of a world without knew clear weapons, and the security council adopted a resolution that aims toward that goal. the resolution represents a lofty goal and grand intentions, but will it actually bring the world closer to the goal? here's jake tapper. >> reporter: president obama became the first u.s. president to ever chair a meeting of the united nations security council today, and the issue could not have been more important. the lofty goal of the resolution, a world without nuclear weapons. >> just one nuclear weapon exploded

finton didn't know it. agents arrested him yesterday after they say he parked outside of the federal courthouse in springfield and tried to blow it up with a cell phone. the federal affidavit says finton is an ex-con that converted to islam in prison. he wanted to go abroad and train as a jihadist but people that worked with him at a restaurant say they never saw that side of him. >> i'm shocked to hear this about him. from what i know about him this isn't in his character at all. this element of what's on the news about him, i don't really -- didn't know him to be that kind of guy. this could be a mistake. >> authorities say it was no mistake. they say finton told agents he idolized john walker lindh and even wrote to him in prison. >>> a man accused of trying to blow up a dallas describe skyscraper appeared in court today he was on their radar posting comments in an extremist chat room and agents contacted him posing as an al qaeda sleeper cell. he drove to the parking garage under the fountain place towe

finton was arrested.alked about a number of targets. this is just just one of them that he identified that was important for him to attack. >> reporter: sources tell abc news finton converted to islam while serving time in prison. authorities say he became radicalized and tried to become a pen pal of john walker lynn, american caught fighting with the taliban in the days just after 9/11. the fbi claims he met another radical. the man was a government snitch. those phony cell members supplied finton with fake explosives. finton was charged in the same courthouse he allegedly planned to blow up. if convicted, he faces life in prison. pierre thomas, abc news, washington. >> and here in new york a federal grand jury has indicted a terror suspect on charges of conspireing to build and explode weapons of mass destruction. najibullah zazi had already started to mix the materials he gathered from beauty supply shops. he'll appear in federal court in denver and could be transferred to new york soon thereafter. >>

but finton did not know that. agents arrested him wednesday after they say he parked the van outside the courthouse and tried to detonate it with a cell phone. a federal affidavit also saying that finton, a u.s. citizen, is an ex-con who converted to islam in prison. he called himself talib islam and talked about wanting to go abroad to be trained as a jihadist. but people who worked with him said they never saw that side of him. >> i'm very shocked to hear this about him. from what i know about him, this isn't in his character as all. this element of what's on the news about him, this is -- i don't really -- didn't know him to be that kind of guy. this could be a mistake. >> authorities are saying it's no mistake. they say finton told agents he idolized john walker lindh, an american captured for fighting with the taliban. >>> police are using tiny devices to keep tabs on defendants now. "washington post" reporting judges are ordering ankle-monitoring systems more and more. they can track people's movements and c

finton didn't know that at the time. agents arrested him yesterday after he parked the van outside the federal courthouse in springfield and tried to detonate it with a cell phone. >> richard source why would he want to do this exactly? is the fbi talking about a possible motive in. >> what we know right now a federal affidavit is saying finton is an ex-con who converted to islam in prison and called himself talib islam. >> i'm very shocked to hear this about him because from what i know about him, this isn't in his character at all. this element of what's on the news about him, this is, i don't really, didn't know him to be that kind of guy, and this could be a mistake. >> authorities say it is no mistake. they say that finton told agents he identifialy iay aiay aial id walker lindh and wrote to him in prison. there's another terror plot foiled in dallas. >> a lot of things going on, on the terrorism front, this morning. >>> charles manson follower susan atkins has died. she admitted to killing actress sharon tate 40 ye

finton did not know that.e was arrested wednesday after he parked that van outside the federal courthouse in springfield and tried to p@ detonate it with a cell phone. of course, it was all fake. >> wow. so why would he want to do this, richard? is the fbi talking about a possible motive? >> well, going back to that federal affidavit saying that finton is an ex-con who converted to islam in prison, he called himself a different name and talked about going abroad to train as a jihadist. but people who worked with him at a restaurant say they never saw that side of him. >> i'm very shocked to hear this because from what i know about him this isn't in his character at all. this element of what's on the news about him, this is -- i don't really -- didn't know him to be that kind of guy. this could be a mistake. >> authorities say it is no mistake. they say finton he told agents he idolized a u.s. citizen kaptca captured for fighting with the taliban and wrote to him in prison. coming up, you'll hear how fbi agtds

year-old hosam smadi is being held on charges he wanted to blow up a skyscraper and 29-year-old michael finton is chargeed with trying to blow up the federal courthouse in springfield, illinois. both were caught in f.b.i. stings. agents waited to bust them until zazi was arrest sod as not to spook him. now a very shocking medical story, it involves a labeling mixup on frozen embryos kept at invitro fertilization clinics. for dozens of parents, mark strassmann tells us it's turned into an angst waiting game. >> reporter: it's the cutting-edge science that creates life in a pete redish. it turns out at this hospital in new orleans, a simple accounting error in its i.v.f. program could have as many as a hundred parents wondering whether they are really the parents of their children. >> we're here to talk about a very difficult and a very personal subject. >> reporter: according to officials, the problem occurred at this point in the i.v.f. process, when embryos that are to be stored for later use, are placeed in freezeers filled with liquid nitrogen. they're supposed to be bar coded, color coded

investigators say michael finton, akatalid islam was planning to use a car bomb.e idolized john wall kerr lynde. finton's reported target the office building and courthouse in springfield, illinois. we're told investigators busted him after he tried to use a cell phone to detonate what he had been told was a van filled with explosives. the material inside was actually harmless. this is at least the third major terror plot that is unfolding right now. remember, there are the reported backpack bomb plots in denver and alleged office tower plot in dallas. no word of any connections between them. we'll be right back. inner beauty is important, but not nearly as important as outer beauty. ♪ that's why i use covergirl's simply ageless makeup with olay regenerist serum. a department store brand can glob up in lines and wrinkles and actually make you look older. simply ageless stays suspended over lines and makes you look amazing. simply ageless from olay and easy, breezy, beautiful covergirl. ♪ and try new simply ageless sculpting blush to bring out your cheekbones. it c

michael finton was charged with attempted murder.night, yet another american showed up as an al qaeda killer, a man identified as almarici. he levelled threats in german against the people. this is against the upcoming german election. the german tv anchors tonight called it the serious and unpress departmented threat level experienced by germany in years. one more sign this week that al qaeda is still far from defeated. >> it's a good reminder to us that we are still at risk, both at home and abroad. >> but agents say the arrest of najibullah zazi was a major victory. if convicted he faces life in prison. for "nightline." this is brian ross, abc news, new york. >> an ongoing story, brian ross reporting this evening. >>> when we come back, so you think you have a penny pincher in your family? wait until you see tonight's "sign of the times". right now five coworkers are working from the road using a mifi-- a mobile hotspot that provides up to five shared wi-fi connections. two are downloading the final final revised final presentatio

the cases where the fbi was in on this very early undercover informant, they basically took michael finton and they walked him right up in front of the courthouse in illinois. these are sort of aspirational cases. they're not operational. >> this one and this one then in texas, as well, where the arrest took place in. >> absolutely. the one in texas with the 640-story black skyscraper supposedly a part of the plot to blow it up, these are cases where the fbi closely watched, nothing really was going to p happen. >> armen keteyian, thank you so much. joining us now from washington is the former head of homeland security tom ridge who has just written a memoir called "the test of our times." and governor ridge joins us this morning. good morning, sir. >> good morning. >> so many people calling this najibullah zazi and his cohorts this whole plotting as the most credible threat since nim. as we look at this unfold, should we be assured that the security system is working or should we be concerned that it ought to be working better? >> i think there should be some sense of concern about the po

michael finton is accused of driving what he thought was a car bomb to a federal building in illinois. and o sam smadi was arrested for placing what he thought was pa bomb at a 60-story office building in dallas. >> there's no direct links between any of the recent arrests but it representing a broader threat as well as with self-starters inside the united states. >> reporter: prosecutors claim e plot was well advanced but his lawyer says authorities never found explosives. >> i didn't think there was reas to keep him detained. it was not a surprise to anyone. >> reporter: he remains in a new york city jail cell awaiting a court appearance tuesday. jeff rossen, nbc news, new york. >>> in pakistan, two separate suicide car bombings have killed at least 16 people. the explosions happened outside a bank and a police station. more than 150 people were injured. the taliban is claiming responsibility for one of the bombings and warning there will be more. >>> in afghanistan this has already been the deadliest year of the war for u.s. forces an nato forces. as we mentioned a moment ago, for

michael finton later admitted that the finalized that man. and seven men in north carolina arrested for planning attacks on u.s. troops -- officials say they have specific targets, one on u.s. soil. daniel boyd is charged with planning an attack on the quantico marine base in virginia. they believe he and six others went on training expeditions, prefacing military techniques with armor-piercing bullets. investigators think there is another suspect in pakistan. jane: as we are learning about all of these terror plot that are said to be not connected, michael chertoff, former homeland security director, and joins us now. we see these stories popping up all over the country. what is coming on? >> these stores are not connected, and what we hear now with this story about zazi, is the most serious because it actually takes us back to the frontier areas of pakistan. frankly, the plot was similar to what we have seen in london. these other plots are reminiscent of thing that we have seen before. we had the fort dix plot. prisoners to become radicali

in springfield, illinois, michael finton was arrested allegedly for driving what he thought was a car bomb to a federal building. in dallas, fbi agents arrested an illegal immigrant from jordan after he allegedly placed what he thought was a bomb at an office building. and then there's the plot that analysts are calling the most serious since 9/11 involving an afghan immigrant, bomb-making ingredients, and new york city. roger kresse is a terror analyst for nbc and joins us this morning. good morning. >> good morning. >> i want to begin with news out of iran and the iranian nuclear enrichment facility that is under construction and soon would become operational. talk a little bit about what type of threat that would pose to the american public. >> well, it really becomes an existential threat for a couple places. one, of course, is israel, which is why you see prime minister netanyahu being very aggressive in the approach that the israeli government will take against this. the second is our gulf allies. the arab states such as saudi arabia, the united arab emirate, they all view iran

michael finton was arrested on wednesday. officials say he was trying to set off what he thought was a powerful bomb outside aederal courthouse in the illinois capitol. finton, who investigators say idolized american taliban john lipped appeared in court yesterday. investigators say a teen tried to blow up a skyscraper in dallas. the fbi arrestehim after they say he placed an inactive car bomb by the fountain building. meanwhile, an afghan immigrant accused of planning a terrorist attack is facing new charges that could land him in prison for life. prosecutors say najibullah zazi and three other people bought gallons of chemicals at denver area beauty product suppliers over t summer. they say those chemicals could be combined to make the same kind of bombs used in the deadly london bombings in 2005. >> in a few hours, ben bernanke will be speaking to the congressional black caucus and cnbc's courtney reagan joins us live to tell us what to expect out of that. good morning. >> reporter: good morning to you both. just days afte

finton was arrested after trying to detonate a van he believed was stuffed with explosives beer the paul finley building in springfield and now the illinois congressman saying that the fbi informed him that his office in springfield was one of finton's planned targets. so how is it that terror plots in new york, texas and illinois are all disclosed in one week? should we be more concerned now at that ever been homeland? should our terror level be raised? how many other suspected terror cells are hidden in cities and towns across america and maybe even in a neighborhood where you are? let's bring in fox news terror analyst ferris. good to see you, and i say maybe a neighborhood where you are because i'm sure the people in aurora, colorado and in new york city, were very shocked to learn that this could be going on, especially as we get more and more information. do you think this is just the tip of the iceberg, these plots we've learned about? >> i do think it is the tip of the iceberg and i think it's a big tip of the iceberg, unfortunately, i do also project we may see more in the futur

in ill., michael finton is charged with trying to blow up a building.nd they plot to attack the u.s. marine corps base in virginia, the plan to murder american troops on u.s. soil, allegedly hatched with two men charged last month with plotting terrorists attacks overseas. earlier today, a judge ordered najibullah zazi transferred to new york city, where he will be charged with plotting to use of weapons of mass destruction. david lee miller, what did we learn today? >> today be heard from the prosecutor purity said that najibullah zazi had the intent of being in new york on 9/11, possibly to participate in a terrorist attack. he called the evidence a chilling and disturbing sequence of events. the u.s. attorney in denver said he was very pleased. the judge decided that he will remain in custody. he will not have the opportunity to post bond. the u.s. attorney spoke briefly with reporters. >> we agree with the judge. we agree that mr. zazi is a danger to the community and a flight risk. the judge agreed with that. >> it is a matter of days until he does

to zazi's plot. 19-year-old is accused to attempting to blow up this dallas high rise and michael finton is charged with trying to bomb the federal course hourt in springfield, illinois. both were taken down in fbi stings undercover agents acting as fellow terrorists and providing dummy bombs. the men presented no real danger, but they underscore the on going threat. >> there are people living in the united states who may be u.s. citizens or legal residents who want to carry out violent acts. >> reporter: and sources say najibullah zazi is a frightening case in point. a legal u.s. resident intent on attacking the home land. bob orr, cbs news, washington. >>> so many arrests in such a short period of time has many wondering what's going on. joining us is cbs national security analyst. juan zarate. as we look at the developments in these arrests, is there a connection here or is it simply company coincidence some. >> there doesn't appear to be any connection. the individuals appear to be acting alone, motivated to commit terrorist acts. fortunately contacted by fbi undercover agents and so

police say michael finton, who converted to islam in prison, drove a van he believed husband carrying nearly a ton of explosives and parked it in front of a federal courthouse. it, too, was to be detoned by cell phone. but like in dallas, the explosives were phony. if convicted, both men face up to life in prison. chris? >> pierre, thank you. >>> let's turn, now, in new developments of the afghan immigrant, conspiring to make and use bombs against targets in the united states. abc's chief investigative correspondent, brian ross is here. you have more on that side of the story. good morning, brian. >> reporter: the new details make it even clearer how close this plot comes to being carried out. authorities say 24-year-old najibullah zazi, had gathered the chemicals. and was ready to set off bombs in crowded places. making what the government called weapons of mass destruction. federal agents said zazi went to this and other beauty supply stores in the denver area to get his chemicals. cnn broadcast this surveillance tape of zazi inside. apparently posing as a man who had lots of girlfr