Would-Be Suicide Bomber Apprehended On Route to Capitol Building

The FBI apprehended a man who has on his way to Capitol Hill primed and ready to blow something up. Problem is, his bomb-jacket wasn’t exactly genuine and was even provided to him by the FBI themselves in an elaborate sting operation.

The Virginia man was arrested today for what he allegedly thought would be a suicide attack on one of our nation’s most iconic landmarks. The man, a Moroccan citizen who has lived in the United States for a dozen years, was identified as Amine El Khalifi, 29, according to sources. He was picked up after a long-suffering investigation by the FBI after expressing an interest in conducting a domestic attack. Initial contact came in early December when he told an undercover FBI agent about a previous plot to plant a bomb in a northern Virginia building.

Khalifi thought that his undercover FBI contacts were agents of al-Qaeda, had purchased home-made bomb materials including jackets, nails, and glue, and even conducted an explosives test in a quarry.

“At no time was the public or congressional community in any danger,” said US Capitol police. Details are scant as to how Khalifi initially caught the FBI’s attention, but authorities said they began their investigation when he expressed his interest in terrorism. They said they’d been monitoring him for “not more than a year.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., called it a “stark reminder” of the dangers we Americans face in our own homeland: “I think it will encourage more of us to take the tunnel. … Maybe we have to walk around with a little higher level of paranoia,” he said.

Another lone wolf bites the dust.

Do you think the fed is doing a crack job keeping us safe?