FBI: Man Planned to Bomb Dallas Skyscraper

Dallas FBI agents arrested a Jordanian citizen Thursday afternoon for attempting to bomb a skyscraper in Downtown Dallas.

According to the bureau, 19-year-old Mosam Maher Husein Smadi was arrested and charged for attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

Smadi had been under continuous FBI surveillance and was arrested after he allegedly placed and tried to detonate an inactive car bomb near Fountain Place, a 60-story glass office tower located at 1445 Ross Avenue, the FBI said.

• Read the affidavit for Smadi's arrest. (PDF)
• Hear more details about the terror plot. Click to play the first clip in the video player.

According to a press release, Smadi is in the United States illegally and had been living and working in Italy, Texas.

"He has repeatedly espoused his desire to commit violent Jihad and has been the focus of an undercover FBI investigation," the release states.

• FOX 4's Sophia Reza visited the place where Smadi worked. Click on the second clip in the video player to hear more about his life in Texas.

Undercover agents posing as members of an al-Qaida sleeper cell were introduced to him and they said he made clear his intention to serve as a soldier for Osama Bin Ladin and al-Qaida. He told them he came to the country specifically to commit violent Jihad "for the sake of God."

The agents meeting with Smadi said they tried to discourage him from violence on several occasions, the release states.

According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Smadi said in his native Arabic language, "Oh my brothers! O how I love, my brothers, to perform Jihad with you in the same rank, in the same field, against the enemy. I have chosen to be a Mujahid with my self, blood, soul and body. [That is] more precious to me than this world and its money, women and amusements. By God, I shall support Osama, Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi, al-Rantisi and all who performed Jihad in this world."

In June, Smadi allegedly met with the undercover agents to discuss possible targets, which included the National Guard Armory, a Dallas airport and an unidentified bank near the airport. In July he reportedly told the agents he had changed his mind about the initial targets and instead identified the Wells Fargo bank located inside the Fountain Place skyscraper, according to the affidavit.

"I have decided to change the target. Let us make it the big fish instead of the smaller fish; they are all fish in one sea - the main bank for the city and not the branch that we had identified. God willing, the strike will be certain and strong. It will shake the current weak economy in the State and the American nation because this bank is one of the largest banks in this city," Smadi is quoted in the affidavit.

The Fountain Place skyscraper is the fifth tallest building in Dallas. It is 720 feet tall and has about 26,000 panes of exterior glass. It houses federal agencies, an architecture firm, the Wells Fargo bank and the popular Avanti restaurant.

• Read more quotes from Smadi in the arrest warrant affidavit.
• Learn about the Fountain Place tower. Click on the third clip in the video player to watch FOX 4's Emily Lopez's report.

The agents said they met with Smadi again in late August to discuss the logistics and timing of the attack. He stated he would have preferred to do the attack on Sept. 11, but decided to wait until after the month of Ramadan, which ended this past weekend, the FBI said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, FBI agents said they secretly ensured Smadi had only an inactive explosive device which contained no explosive materials.

Coincidently, the Ellis County Sheriff's Department said Smadi was arrested on Sept. 11 because he had no driver's license or insurance.

The FBI said Thursday's arrest is not related to recent terrorist events in Colorado, New York or Springfield . According to the FBI, investigations determined he was not associated with other terrorist organizations.

"The highest priority of the FBI and the Department of Justice remains the prevention of another terrorist attack within the United States," said James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas. "In that effort, it is the job of the FBI to locate and identify individuals intent upon carrying out any type of attack upon this country and its citizens/residents."

• Hear what Richard Roper, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, said about the case against Smadi. Click on the fourth video clip in the player.

In a statement to the media, Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert said he was aware of situation.

"Clearly, this is a troubling sign of the world we all live in today and we are extremely grateful for the vigilance of the FBI. We have a strong working relationship with FBI officials, and they have kept us informed of their investigation. Thanks to their efforts, no one was ever in any danger," he said.

If convicted, Smadi faces up to life in