New York, NY —

Jury selection is expected to begin Monday in the case of five men accused of plotting an armed attack on Fort Dix. Once the trial starts, the key question will center on whether the men would have actually committed the attack on the Army installation in New Jersey.

The federal government argues that the May 2007 arrests of of Serdar Tatar, Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer and the brothers Dritan, Eljvir and Shain Duka saved lives. But defense lawyers contend there was no plot and that the government paid an informant to get them to discuss one.

The trial will be watched closely because it represents a type of pre-emptive prosecution that's grown more common in U.S. terrorism cases since the 9/11 attacks.