A Pakistani-born man has been sentenced to 23 years in prison in the United States after he pleaded guilty to joining what he thought was an Al-Qaeda plot to bomb the subway system serving the U.S. capital Washington.
Farooque Ahmed, 35, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, apologized for his actions during the court hearing on April 11 in Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington.
Ahmed pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
He was arrested last October as part of a sting operation in which U.S. agents posed as Al-Qaeda operatives in a bid to catch potential terrorists.
Investigators said he conducted surveillance at subway stops and made suggestions on where explosives could be placed to kill the most people.
U.S. officials said the public was never in any danger, and Ahmed's activities were closely monitored.
Defense lawyers said Ahmed had apparently been influenced by the rhetoric of radical Islamist clerics.
compiled from agency reports