New York: Two men, including a Pakistani arrested by the New York Police on charges of plotting to blow up a subway station near the venue of a Republican convention in New York ere have been ordered to be held without bail.

Pakistani Shahawar Matin Siraj, 21 and James el Shafay, 19, an American, were arraigned yesterday (Aug 28, 2004) in District Court and were ordered to be held without bail. The date for the next hear was not set.

The duo had scouted three police stations, two other subway stations and a jail in New York. They also allegedly drew maps of a bridge and other sites they scouted.

City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that they were not connected to either al-Qaeda or any other international terrorist organisations but "their motive was generally hatred for America".

Siraj, a resident of the New York Suburb of Queens and Shafay, from Staten Island, were under surveillance for more than year and were arrested on Friday (Aug 27, 2004), Kelly said. The two were trying to obtain explosives from an FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) informant and were discussing plans to blow up three subway stations, including the one near the Republican convention, he added.

"The suspects were unable to obtain explosives as they did not immediately had the means to do it," Kelly said.

Police decided to act after the duo visited Herald Square station, a few metres from Madison Square Garden, the venue of the Republican Convention starting tomorrow (Aug 30, 2004).