The man who has been accused of planning a bomb attack on the United States studied business at Concordia University in Montreal, CBC News reports.

Assem Hammoud, 31, was arrested on April 27 in Lebanon, where he confessed to being the mastermind behind an alleged plot to bomb underwater tunnels between New York City and New Jersey, Lebanese and U.S. officials said.

Assem Hammoud's computer contained maps and bomb plans for an attack on New York, a Lebanese official said.
(Associated Press)

Nadila Qotob, his mother, said in an interview from Lebanon that her son lived in Canada, had a girlfriend here and studied at a Quebec university.

There are conflicting reports as to whether Hammoud had a Canadian passport or not.

Maps, bomb plans

Eight suspects linked to al-Qaeda, one of whom may be Canadian, planned to launch the attack in October or November, U.S. officials said. 

CBC reported that a suspect was questioned in Canada, and intelligence agencies have been investigating possible suspects in Montreal for two months. The Canadian Press said the suspect was released because of a lack of evidence.

The plan was apparently disrupted while it was still in its early stages by security officials who tracked the suspects through internet chat rooms.

Lebanese officials found maps and bomb plans on Hammoud's computer, seized from the Lebanese International University where he taught economics, acting interior minister Ahmed Fatfat said Saturday.

Hammoud was arrested on a tip from the FBI, he said.

"During the investigation, Assem Hammoud admitted that he was planning to go to Pakistan for four months for training on the implementation of this operation," he said.

Not a fundamentalist

But he was not an al-Qaeda member, his mother said, citing his Western lifestyle.

However, Lebanon's internal security forces discounted that, saying in a communiqué Saturday that he was hiding his true nature.

"[Al-Qaeda] requested from him not to show any religious tendencies during his stay in Lebanon and to give the picture of a frivolous and uncommitted youth," the communiqué said.

Security forces in different countries have arrested two or three of the eight suspects, reports said.

In Canada, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said "we will co-operate with the U.S. and we'll start gathering all the information."