1. On what charges was Pakistani-American Farooque Ahmed arrested by federal agents this week?

2. Who did Farooque Ahmed think he was working with on the plot to murder Americans?

3. How did the FBI become aware of Ahmed's desire to join with al Qaeda in attacking Americans?

4. a) What work did Ahmed do for the fake al Qaeda operatives?
b) What suggestions did he give his "al Qaeda" contacts?

5. Re-read the last four paragraphs of the article (para. 12-15). What do you think of the FBI's work to protect Americans from terrorists?

6. If convicted, Farooque Ahmed could be sentenced to a maximum of 50 years in prison.  A similar plot led to a 24-year prison sentence this month for a Jordanian man.  What do you think is the appropriate punishment for plotting a terrorist attack:  life in prison, execution,  a limited number of years in prison, or something else?  Explain your answer.

7.  The fact that Farooque Ahmed is a Muslim is not stated in this article. In paragraph 9 it is only reported that Ahmed planned to attend the hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia prior to carrying out an attack in the U.S.  Why do you think many news reports fail to state this pertinent fact and instead emphasize the idea that there are more and more "homegrown" terrorists in the U.S.?