Prosecutors Miami men planned 'war' against US

MIAMI, June 23 (Reuters) Seven people arrested in Miami planned attacks on US FBI buildings and the landmark Sears Tower in Chicago to kill ''all the devils we can'' in a mission ''just as good or greater'' than September 11, US prosecutors said today.

An indictment handed down against the men by a grand jury in south Florida said they pledged loyalty to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda in order to ''wage war'' against the US government and build an Islamic army. It said at least one of them plotted to blow up the 110-story Sears Tower, the tallest building in the United States.

The men, named as Narseal 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 today. Justice officials said five were Americans, one might be from Haiti and one appeared to be in the country illegally.

They were arrested yesterday after heavily armed FBI agents and other law enforcement agencies swooped on a warehouse in one of Miami's poorest neighborhoods, Liberty City, a predominantly black area that has witnessed some of Miami's worst race riots.

A man identified as a member of the ''Seas of David'' religious group told CNN yesterday 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. He said the group had ''soldiers'' in Chicago, but reiterated it was peaceful movement. Miami media said the group of men sold hair grease and shampoo in the streets. Some worked on construction crews.

The indictment said all of the defendants also referred to themselves as ''Brothers.'' It said one of the men, Batiste, told an FBI informant he believed to be an al Qaeda representative that he wanted to attend a training camp with some of his ''soldiers'' and wage a ''full ground war'' against the United States.

Their aim was to '''kill all the devils we can' in a mission that would 'be just as good or greater than 9/11,' beginning with the destruction of the Sears Tower,'' the indictment read.

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales was to participate in an FBI news briefing in Washington on the arrests at 10:30 am EDT/1430 GMT and more details were to be given at another news briefing later today in Miami.

A parade through Miami to celebrate the victory by the Miami Heat team in the National Basketball Association championship, expected to attract about 200,000 people, was still due to go ahead today and the authorities stressed that citizens were never at risk.

It was unclear what impact if any the arrests might have on public opinion ahead of mid-term congressional elections in November, and amid a deep slump in President George W. Bush's popularity and in public support for the Iraq war.

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