U.S. Indicts Terror Plot Suspects

Documents Say Three Men Targeted U.S. Financial Institutions

(CBS/AP) 
U.S. officials claim Barot is a senior al Qaeda figure, known variously as Abu Eisa al-Hindi, Abu Musa al-Hindi and Issa al-Britani.

Although they allegedly were doing their surveillance at the same time the Sept. 11 hijackers were making their final preparations, nothing in the indictment links this group to the hijackers.

The indictment does not allege any specific actions by the men in the United States or elsewhere after April 2001, though Comey said their plotting continued. "This conspiracy was alive and kicking until August 2004," he said.

Bush administration authorities said the decision to raise the risk of a terrorist attack to "high" for those specific financial institutions was based on an abundance of caution and because of al Qaeda's history of lengthy planning and plotting.

These three men, according to the indictment, used common tour groups, walk-bys and helicopter rides to scout the buildings. As CBS' Stewart reports, al Qaeda terrorists had videotaped the buildings in August 2000 and April 2001. They had even gone inside some of the buildings to test their security.

But meanwhile the 9/11 crew was preparing by taking flying lessons. And, it seems, Bin Laden always thought bigger was better, and gave his blessings to the 9/11 plotters.

The rest of the plans were put on hold, Stewart reports. But he noted that this "bigger is better" line of al Qaeda thinking could indicate that when the group strikes next, it's going to be intense.

British proceedings and any sentences would have to be completed before U.S. agents could question the men or seek their extradition, the Crown Prosecution Service said. The trial in Britain is scheduled to begin in January, it said.

"They are indicted here and whether or not they actually ever are extradited here I guess is a matter of discussion," said New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. "But I think it's important, both substantively and symbolically important, that you come here, you do this type of surveillance, we're not going to forget."