An 18-year-old man who tried to set off what he thought was a car bomb outside a Chicago bar was arrested and charged in a federal undercover sting, authorities said at the weekend.
Adel Daoud, a US citizen, planned the attack for months and prayed with a man who turned out to be an undercover agent before attempting to set off a bomb in a Jeep outside a bar, authorities said.
Daoud, who considered up to 29 possible targets, was charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempting to damage and destroy a building by means of an explosive. He is scheduled to appear in court on Monday for a preliminary hearing.
The inert explosives posed no threat to the public and were supplied by undercover law enforcement, acting US attorney Gary Shapiro said in a statement. Daoud was closely monitored and offered several opportunities to change his mind.
According to an FBI affidavit, Daoud used email accounts starting in about October 2011 to gather and send materials "relating to violent jihad and the killing of Americans".
Daoud emailed a lengthy Powerpoint presentation to several people defending the tactics of al-Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden and emailed himself several articles on Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born Muslim cleric who the US said was a leader of al-Qaida's Yemen affiliate, the affidavit said.
Awlaki was killed in a drone strike in September 2011.
Daoud also was registered in an internet forum where members "discuss violent jihad and distribute jihadist propaganda and related instructional materials", the affidavit said.
Daoud faces up to life in prison if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
