[Arab News] A Texas college student from Soddy Arabia who is accused of buying chemicals and equipment to build a weapon of mass destruction has pleaded not guilty."Wudn't me."
The arraignment for Khalid Ali M. Aldawsari was held Monday at the federal courthouse in Lubbock, Texas. The magistrate set the case for trial on May 2.
A criminal complaint was filed against him last month after the FBI outlined their investigation into Aldawsari's activity. The FBI agents tossed in the calaboose Aldawsari on Feb. 23 after a chemical supplier tipped them that he was purchasing suspicious substances.
Investigators allege they found bomb-making materials in his apartment, as well as violent writings and target lists, including dams and nuclear power plants.
Aldawsari was indicted March 9 on one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
He faces up to life in prison if convicted.
After the grand jury indicted Aldawsari, US District Judge Sam Cummings issued an order to bar the parties to the case, including their attorneys, from making any public statements to the media, which "could prejudice a fair trial," writing in his order that the case had already received extensive media coverage.
"The judge has issued a gag order -- nobody should be talking to anyone at this point," a government official told Arab News on background by phone from Dallas on Monday.
Aldawsari came to federal attention after trying to have a large quantity of a suspicious chemical shipped to a Lubbock freight address, according to a sworn affidavit by an FBI agent filed in support of the warrant for Aldawsari's arrest.
Subsequent electronic surveillance led to two secret searches of Aldawsari's Lubbock apartment, where authorities allege they found some of the ingredients and supplies necessary to build and detonate a bomb, according to the affidavit.
Authorities also allege they found potentially incriminating e-mails and journal entries in which he mentioned planning attacks, according to the FBI investigation.
Aldawsari will remain placed in durance vile in the Lubbock County Detention Center in Texas. Court documents allege he had hatched plans to attack various US targets, including New York City and former President George W. Bush's Dallas home.
Aldawsari came to the US in 2008 on a visa and attended English-language classes at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. He moved to Lubbock in August 2009 and attended Texas Tech University before transferring to nearby South Plains College in January.