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Arrests over US army base 'plot' Arrests over US army base 'plot'
(about 8 hours later)
Six men have been arrested on charges of plotting to attack Fort Dix army base in the US state of New Jersey.Six men have been arrested on charges of plotting to attack Fort Dix army base in the US state of New Jersey.
They allegedly planned to use automatic weapons "with the intention of killing as many US soldiers as possible", said the US Attorney's Office in New Jersey. The men, all foreign-born and described as "Islamic militants", planned to use automatic weapons to kill as many US soldiers as possible, prosecutors say.
Four of the men were born in the former Yugoslavia, one in Jordan and one in Turkey, a spokesman said. He described the suspects as "Islamic radicals". The FBI says it infiltrated the group after a video shop alerted the police to being asked to copy onto DVD footage of the men firing guns and chanting.
The six were due to appear in court in Camden, New Jersey, on Tuesday. Officials say there is no evidence of links to international terror networks.
Some of the suspects were US citizens and others were illegal immigrants, said US Attorney's Office spokesman Michael Drewniak. Four of the suspects were born in the former Yugoslavia, one in Turkey and one in Jordan.
They will face charges of conspiracy to kill US servicemen. The six, some of whom were in the US illegally, were due to appear in court in Camden, New Jersey, on Tuesday.
"They were planning an attack on Fort Dix in which they would kill as many soldiers as possible," he said. A spokesman for the US Attorney's Office in New Jersey, Michael Drewniak, said they would face charges of conspiracy to kill US servicemen.
Five of the suspects lived in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, about 20 miles (32 km) south-west of Fort Dix, where they were arrested on Monday evening. 'Dodged the bullet'
Speaking at a press conference in Camden, US attorney Christopher J Christie thanked the video store clerk who had alerted police after seeing the suspicious footage in late 2005.
It apparently showed 10 young men, including the six suspects arrested, firing guns as they shouted "Allah Akbar" (God is great).
He also praised law enforcement officers for working together to monitor the group for the next 16 months, before making arrests on Monday evening in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, where five of the men lived.
"We were able to do what law enforcement is supposed to do in the post-9/11 era - stay one step ahead of those who are attempting to cause harm to innocent US citizens," he said.
He said the alleged plotters had looked at other military bases in Philadelphia and Delaware before deciding on Fort Dix as a target.
They chose the New Jersey base because one of the men knew it well through delivering pizzas there, he said.
The FBI informant who infiltrated the group had recorded the suspects watching footage of other attacks against US soldiers and videos of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, Mr Christie said.
FBI agent JP Weiss said the discovery of the alleged plot had allowed US authorities to step in during the planning stage and avoid a potentially serious attack.
"Looking at the weapons they were trying to obtain, we dodged a lot of bullets," he said.
He said the alleged plot was a reminder that the US faced the threat of "a brand new form of terrorism", where isolated groups, rather than big networks like al-Qaeda, might plan attacks.
'Weapons training''Weapons training'
White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters there was "no direct evidence" that the men allegedly involved in the plot had links to international terror networks. White House spokesman Tony Snow earlier told reporters there was "no direct evidence" that the men allegedly involved in the plot had links to international terror networks.
"They are not being charged with being members of an international terror organisation," he said."They are not being charged with being members of an international terror organisation," he said.
"However, their involvement in weapons training, operational surveillance and discussions about killing American military personnel warranted a strong law enforcement response.""However, their involvement in weapons training, operational surveillance and discussions about killing American military personnel warranted a strong law enforcement response."
According to local media reports, the men had allegedly trained in weapons use over recent months in the Pocono Mountains area of north-eastern Pennsylvania. The men allegedly trained in weapons use over recent months in the Pocono Mountains area of north-eastern Pennsylvania.
The authorities have stressed that the alleged plot was stopped in the planning stage.
It is believed the men were arrested as part of an undercover FBI operation as they tried to buy AK-47 assault rifles from a local arms dealer.
A spokeswoman for the FBI said a news conference would be held later on Tuesday to discuss the arrests.
Fort Dix is used for military training, particularly for reservists.Fort Dix is used for military training, particularly for reservists.