The US authorities have charged seven suspected militants in connection with an alleged plot to destroy the country's tallest building. They were planning to blow up Chicago's Sears Tower, the FBI says. It adds that the seven had sworn allegiance to al-Qaeda, but had no contacts with it. They were arrested at a warehouse in Miami, during an undercover operation. The group - infiltrated by an agent posing as an al-Qaeda member - includes two foreigners and five US citizens. US Attorney-General Alberto Gonzales said the group of "home-grown terrorists" were inspired by "a violent jihadist message". "They were persons who for whatever reason came to view their home country as the enemy," he told reporters.

'Wannabes': According to a federal indictment, the men were conspiring to "levy war against the United States". They have been charged with conspiring to blow up both the Sears Tower and the FBI building in North Miami Beach. The indictment names Narseal Batiste, who allegedly asked an undercover agent he thought was from al-Qaeda for help to build an "army to wage jihad", the indictment said. He is said to have told the agent he and his "soldiers" wanted al-Qaeda training and planning for a "full ground war" against the US in order to "kill all the devils we can". His mission would "be just as good or greater than 9/11", Mr Batiste said, according to the indictment. No weapons were found in the Miami warehouse, and the seven had not posed any immediate danger, the FBI said.