Terror suspects aimed to build an "Islamic Army," officials say

MIAMI — They swore allegiance to al-Qaida, authorities charge, and were led by a "Moses-like figure" who carried a cane through his Miami neighborhood, wearing a cape or sometimes a bathrobe. They allegedly sought to sow death and terror but ended up in leg irons instead.

The seven men arrested in an alleged terrorist plot thought they were conspiring with al-Qaida "to levy war against the United States" in attacks that would "be just as good or greater than 9/11," according to a federal indictment unsealed Friday.

The campaign was to begin with the bombing of the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago, the indictment charges, though an FBI sting foiled the alleged plot long before it reached that point. Attacks on federal buildings in Miami and four other cities also were discussed, officials said.

"What we had was a situation where individuals in America made plans to hurt Americans," U.S. Attorney General Albert Gonzales said during a news conference in Washington.

But that's where it stopped: with initial plans, authorities said.

The men, allegedly led by Narseal Batiste, each swore an oath of fidelity to al-Qaida but never met with an authentic representative of the group responsible for the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, authorities said.

They weren't able to obtain explosives and no weapons were found, officials said. In Chicago, police said there was no credible threat against the Sears Tower, and no arrests were made there.

"This group was more aspirational than operational," said John Pistole, the FBI's deputy director.

The FBI learned of the plot from someone the defendants tried to recruit, authorities said. The FBI then arranged for an informant of Arabic descent to pass himself off as an al-Qaida operative.

Batiste met several times in December with the informant and asked for supplies and $50,000 to help him build an "Islamic Army," the indictment said.

Officials described the group as a distinct threat to national security and, at the same time, as something akin to the gang that couldn't think straight.

For the most part, authorities framed the case as one against a "homegrown cell" of terrorists and said the seven could have inflicted great harm.

According to the indictment, Batiste, 32, called his men "soldiers" in an "Islamic Army" that would wage a "full ground war."

He said he wanted to "kill all the devils that we can," officials said, and that he wanted most of his group to attend al-Qaida training.

The suspects called the Liberty City, Fla., warehouse in which they met — and where most of them were arrested Thursday — "the embassy," authorities said.

"They lived and worked in the United States, enjoyed all the freedoms our great nation offers, yet they pledged their allegiance to al-Qaida," Pistole said. "Their goal was simple: Commit attacks against America."

Gonzales compared them to terrorists in Madrid, Spain, London and Toronto.

"Left unchecked, these homegrown terrorists may prove to be as dangerous as groups like al-Qaida," Gonzales said.

The seven were fooled by the informant for months.

They needed help acquiring everything from machine guns to rental vans and boots, even giving the informant a list of their shoe sizes, according to the indictment, and they were led by Batiste, who called himself "Brother Naz" and "Prince Manna."

A friend described Batiste, who grew up in Chicago, as a "Moses-like" figure who would roam the neighborhood in odd clothing, carrying a crooked wooden cane as he recruited vulnerable young men.

"He had a resentment in his heart toward God," Sylvain Plantin said. "I felt something wasn't right about him."

Others said he was a martial-arts devotee who sometimes wore camouflage and led his followers through late-night physical exercises.

The indictment identified the six other defendants as Patrick Abraham, or "Brother Pat," 26; Burson Augustin, or "Brother B," 21; Rotschild Augustine, or "Brother Rot," 22; Naudimar Herrera, or "Brother Naudy," 22; Lyglenson Lemorin, or "Brother Levi" or "Brother Levi-El," 31; and Stanley Grant Phanor, or "Brother Sunni," 31.

None has made any substantive public comment since the arrests, but friends and relatives of some of them have expressed shock — and doubt over their guilt.

"I believe my husband is innocent of all the accusations against him," said Minerva Batiste, 34, the wife of the alleged ringleader.

Despite early reports to the contrary, the men didn't appear to be members of mainstream Muslim communities.

A close friend of one defendant said Batiste's teachings came from the Moorish Science Temple of America, an early 19th-century religion that blends Christianity, Judaism and Islam with a heavy influence on self-discipline through martial arts.

Five of the defendants — all except Phanor and Lemorin — appeared in federal court Friday afternoon in Miami.

The five, arrested Thursday in Liberty City and Little Haiti, were dressed in the muddy-brown jumpsuits that new federal prisoners wear. Chains restricted their movements.

No pleas were entered during the brief hearing. All responded in soft, respectful tones when U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick White asked about their financial situations.

They said they were self-employed or unemployed and had scarce financial resources. Batiste told the court he was self-employed, a father of four and earned about $30,000 a year, but he provided no details.

White appointed attorneys to represent them. The defendants will return to court next Friday.

Lemorin was arrested Thursday in Atlanta and Phanor already was in state custody for allegedly violating probation by carrying a concealed weapon.

Abraham is an illegal immigrant from Haiti; Lemorin is a permanent resident. The other five are U.S. citizens, officials said.

"The defendants are innocent until proven guilty," R. Alexander Acosta, the U.S. attorney in South Florida, said during a news conference in Miami.

The four-count indictment charges all seven with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists, conspiracy to maliciously damage and destroy by means of an explosive, and conspiracy to levy war against the United States.

If convicted, they face maximum prison sentences of 15 or 20 years on each charge.

Some legal observers said the Miami indictment appeared to be based on little evidence, raising questions about where the Justice Department was drawing the line between criminal activity and unsavory thoughts and words.

And since the case was developed exclusively through information provided by the undercover operative, defense lawyers could argue entrapment, legal experts said.

Material from The Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times is included in this report.

Jennifer Babson, Evan S. Benn, Oscar Corral, Amy Driscoll, Susannah A. Nesmith, Charles Rabin and Nicholas Spangler of The Miami Herald contributed to this report.