Washington:
A major terrorist attack on busy shopping malls in the US has been foiled with the arrest of a 27-year old Muslim youth in Boston, who along with his accomplices, discussed about their desire to launch a violent 'jihad', the FBI claimed on Wednesday.
According to the complaint affidavit, the youth, Tarek Mehanna, and co-conspirators had multiple conversations about obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people in a shopping mall.
The conversations went so far as to discuss the logistics of a mall attack, including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders, the affidavit alleged.
However, it added that the plan was ultimately abandoned, because of their inability to obtain automatic weapons they thought were necessary to effectively carry out the attacks.
Mehanna was previously indicted in January 2009 for making false statements to members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI in connection with a terrorism investigation.
"Today's arrest, done in conjunction with a search of his home, involves broader and more serious charges," US
Attorney Michael Loucks was quoted assaying by The Boston Globe.