US Indicts Seven in Terror Plot

The men are accused of plotting to blow up the 110-floor Sears Tower Sears Tower, the world's third tallest building.

According to the indictment, a young man identified as Narseal Batiste recruited and trained the others "for a mission to wage war against the United States government," reported the Washington Post.

The seven suspects, arrested during a raid by federal agents on a warehouse in the impoverished Liberty City neighborhood of Miami, were not members of Al-Qaeda.

They pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda and supported its plot to destroy FBI buildings to get financial backing for their own plans, added the four-count document.

The seven -- five US citizens, a legal resident and a Haitian – are accused of plotting to blow up the 110-floor Sears Tower Sears Tower, the world's third tallest building.

Law enforcement officials said the plotting was in its early stages and no weapons or explosives had been seized from the searched locations.

Sources said some of the arrested men had surveyed buildings in the city and taken photos.

The men, Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, Lyglenson Lemorin and Rotschild Augustine, were due to appear in a Miami magistrate's court later on Friday.

The names do not show any Islamic influence.

Conflicting

There were conflicting reports about the identity of the arrestees.

Law enforcement sources told CNN that the seven suspects were Muslim extremists.

But another enforcement official denied that the group had any links with Al-Qaeda or other foreign terrorist organizations.

"These people were not related to Al-Qaeda," he told the American all-news network.

Residents said the arrested men appeared to be part of a cult of at least a dozen people.

They said the men were sleeping in the warehouse, dressing in military-like clothing and doing exercises.

A man identified as a member of the "Seas of David" religious group told CNN on Thursday that five of his fellow members were among those arrested and that they had no connection to terrorists.

"We are not terrorists. We are members of David, Seas of David," said the man, identified as Brother Corey.

"We study and believe in the word of God," he told CNN.

"This is a place where we worship," he added.

Brother Corey said the "Seas of David" blends the teachings of Christianity and Islam.

"We study Allah and the worship of the regular Bible."

He said his group had connections in Chicago.

"We have soldiers in Chicago," he said clarifying that by soldier he meant: "We train through the Bible... not only physical but mentally."

Disturbing

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, America's largest Islamic civil liberties group, expressed concerns.

"We stand with local and national law enforcement authorities in seeking to keep our nation safe and secure," said Ahmed.

"The American Muslim community is extremely concerned about these disturbing reports," said CAIR National Board Chairman Parvez Ahmed on the group's website.

"We stand with local and national law enforcement authorities in seeking to keep our nation safe and secure."

Ahmed added that CAIR is urging police departments nationwide to step up patrols near mosques and other Islamic Institutions to help prevent any possible backlash resulting from these arrests.

A mosque in Toronto, Canada, was vandalized and nearby cars damaged after the recent arrest of 17 Muslims accused of plotting terrorist attacks in Ontario.

While there is no scientific count of Muslims in the US, six to seven million is the most commonly cited figure.

Thousands of Muslim and Arabic men were rounded up and questioned in the weeks and months following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

A May 2004 report released by the US Senate Office Of Research concluded that the Arab Americans and the Muslim community have taken the brunt of the Patriot Act and other federal powers applied in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks.