McLEAN, Va. — A man accused of plotting to assassinate President Bush was indicted yesterday on additional charges that could bring life in prison, and prosecutors say he also planned to set up a U.S. al-Qaida cell.

Prosecutors say Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 24, of Falls Church, Va., joined al-Qaida in 2002 while studying in Saudi Arabia and discussed possible terrorist operations, including a plot to kill Bush either by shooting or by a suicide bombing.

Prosecutors also allege Abu Ali discussed plans to assassinate members of Congress and to hijack aircraft and fly them into U.S. targets.

The new indictment adds counts of conspiracy to assassinate the president, conspiracy to commit aircraft piracy and conspiracy to destroy aircraft. Previously, those allegations were included in a general charge of conspiracy to support terrorist organizations.

Indonesian terrorist

gets 7-year sentence

JAKARTA, Indonesia — An Indonesian terrorist was sentenced to seven years in prison yesterday for his role in plotting last year's suicide bombing at the Australian Embassy, blamed on a regional terrorist group linked to al-Qaida.

Abdul Fatah, alias Heri Segu, shouted "Allahu akbar" or "God is great" when the three-judge panel in South Jakarta District Court handed down the sentence, the heaviest punishment yet in the attack. Judges said he helped build the bomb.

His sentencing came on the eve of the first anniversary of the Sept. 9, 2004, attack at the heavily fortified mission in central Jakarta that killed nine people. Police blamed Jemaah Islamiyah, also suspected in the fatal 2002 Bali nightclub bombings and a 2003 blast at Jakarta's J.W. Marriott hotel.

Fatah is one of six Muslim militants arrested. Two others were sentenced in July to 3 ½ years and 4 ½ years; prosecutors have asked for the death sentence for two of the others. Several other suspects remain at large.

killed in 3-day battle

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Security forces killed five of Saudi Arabia's most-wanted al-Qaida militants in a three-day battle this week and arrested 11 other suspects, the Interior Ministry said yesterday.

The battle in the city of Dammam was one of the fiercest in months, with security forces besieging militants holed up inside a seaside villa until storming the site Tuesday. Four policemen also were killed.

The five slain militants, identified by DNA tests, were on the kingdom's list of 36 most-wanted terrorist suspects, the Interior Ministry said.

Bombing suspect

arrested in Pakistan

KARACHI, Pakistan — An Islamic militant wanted in connection with a car-bomb attack that killed 11 French engineers and four other people was arrested yesterday after a shootout, police said.

Mufti Mohammed Sabir was arrested near a bus terminal after arriving from Rawalpindi, near the capital of Islamabad, Police Chief Tariq Jameel said.

Sabir tried to flee and fired at police before he was arrested. Police returned fire, but no one was hurt, Jameel said.

Police seized explosives, other bomb-making materials, several rounds of AK-47 ammunition and two rocket shells from a bag Sabir was allegedly carrying.