Four men went on trial Tuesday on charges stemming from an alleged plot to blow up two New York synagogues and fire missiles at US military aircraft.
A jury was selected to hear the case and opening arguments began before US District Judge Colleen McMahon, the US attorney's office said.
The four -- three US citizens and a Haitian immigrant -- have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them: conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, acquiring surface-to-air missiles, and attempted murder of US officials.
Arrested May 20, 2009 in an undercover sting operation, the four have been portrayed by prosecutors as "extremely violent" and intent on waging jihad in the United States.
The four were US nationals James Cromitie, 44, David Williams, 29, and Onta Williams, 34, and a Haitian, Laguerre Payen, 28.
"They were prepared to go all the way through with their destructive and murderous plan," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Hickey in opening statements.
Hickey told the Manhattan Federal Court jury that they will see a video of the defendants praying for success just before they drove to Riverdale to carry out their plan in May 2009.
He said the secretly recorded video was made by an FBI informant who provided the men with the bombs and two stinger missiles and drove them to Riverdale. The FBI rigged the bombs and the missiles so they would not work.
If convicted, they face prison terms of 25 years to life.
Hickey said on one tape Cromitie tells the informant, Shahed Hussain, that the "best target in New York had already been hit," an apparent reference to the World Trade Center.
He said Cromitie goes on to say that he would like to hit another target, like the George Washington Bridge, a large military transport plane or a synagogue.
"Above all, Cromitie said he wanted to hit a synagogue," Hickey said.