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February 22

Suspect in Capitol bomb sting waives court hearing

The Associated Press

ALEXANDRIA — A Moroccan-born man charged with plotting a suicide bombing inside the U.S. Capitol has waived his rights to preliminary and detention hearings.

click image to enlarge

The entrance to Amine El Khalifi's apartment building in Arlington, Va., El Khalifi was arrested Friday near the U.S. Capitol as he allegedly was planning to detonate what he thought was a suicide vest given to him by FBI undercover operatives.

AP

Amine El Khalifi was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. This afternoon, he was ordered held pending indictment.

Authorities say the 29-year-old discussed plans to attack a Virginia office building and a synagogue with an undercover FBI operative he thought was a member of al-Qaida.

Later, El Khalifi allegedly volunteered to wear a suicide vest and to kill himself in a martyrdom operation at the Capitol. His arrest came after a lengthy FBI investigation.

Court documents say El Khalifi had been living illegally in the U.S. for more than a decade.

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