FBI foils subway blast terrorist plot
They have cried wolf so many times before, now you do not believe anything that they say.
"Distrust everyone in whom the impulse to punish is powerful." -- Friedrich Nietzsche - (1844-1900) - Source: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Giles Hewitt in New York
July 08, 2006
THE FBI said overnight that it had foiled a terror plot by a group of Al-Qaeda followers to carry out suicide attacks on train tunnels in New York, with three suspects already in custody overseas.
"This is a plot that would have involved martyrdom, explosives and certain of the tubes that connect New Jersey with Lower Manhattan," said Mark Mershon, head of the FBI's New York office.
Mr Mershon said a year-long investigation had identified eight "principal players" in the conspiracy to bomb tunnels under the Hudson River used by PATH rapid transit trains that carry more than 215,000 commuters a day.
"We believe we intercepted this group early in the plotting and that in fact the plan has largely been disrupted," Mr Mershon said.
The alleged mastermind, Assem Hammoud, a 31-year-old Lebanese national, was arrested and charged in Beirut.
Mr Mershon said two other suspects related to the plot had been arrested overseas but not yet charged. He did not specify where the arrests were made, but added that six foreign governments were helping with the "ongoing" investigation.
None of the plot principals were believed to be in the United States.
According to Mr Mershon, Hammoud had acknowledged being the plan's mastermind and a member of Al-Qaeda who had pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
"That's part of our comfort level in indicating that we think this is largely disrupted," he said.
The Lebanese security services would only say that the suspect had admitted under interrogation to belonging to an extremist organisation and preparing "a significant act of terrorism" targeting the New York transport network.
He was arrested on April 24 after a "long period" of surveillance that focused on his Internet use, they said.
Initial reports had identified the Holland Tunnel, the main road link under the Hudson River, as the principal target, but the FBI said the group had focused on the PATH tunnels that originate from the World Trade Centre site.
Mr Mershon said the plot had matured to the point where the group was preparing to carry out surveillance of the targets, establish a "regiment of attack" and acquire the necessary materials.
"At that point I think it's entirely appropriate to take it down," he added.
New York City has been on a heightened state of terror alert ever since the September 11, 2001 attack, and transport security was further ramped up in the wake of the 2005 bombings on the London transport system that marked their first anniversary Friday.
Mr Mershon said the investigation had begun one year ago from an "intelligence standpoint" and evolved into a multi-national operation.
He criticised the leaking of information about the plot to the New York Daily News, which broke the story, saying it may have jeopardized the investigation and strained relations with foreign law enforcement agencies.
"We had a number of uncomfortable questions and some upsetting calls with the foreign intelligence services that have been working with us on a daily basis," he said.
The foiling of the plot was seized on by some local politicians to reinforce criticism of federal plans to cut New York's counter-terrorism grant by 40 percent this year.
The measure, announced by the Department of Homeland Security at the end of May, prompted an outcry fuelled by simultaneous announcements that cities like Omaha, Nebraska, and Louisville, Kentucky, would see their funding increased by the same margin.
"When you catch a terrorist and look at the map in his or her pocket it is always a map of New York. Not a map of some other place," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"And this is just another example, in a long line of them, as to why we have to continue to keep our vigilance up and why with Homeland Security funding we can do that," Mr Bloomberg said.
Link Here
Sources say NYC tunnel plot just 'hate chatter'
"Distrust everyone in whom the impulse to punish is powerful." -- Friedrich Nietzsche - (1844-1900) - Source: Thus Spoke Zarathustra
by Giles Hewitt in New York
July 08, 2006
THE FBI said overnight that it had foiled a terror plot by a group of Al-Qaeda followers to carry out suicide attacks on train tunnels in New York, with three suspects already in custody overseas.
"This is a plot that would have involved martyrdom, explosives and certain of the tubes that connect New Jersey with Lower Manhattan," said Mark Mershon, head of the FBI's New York office.
Mr Mershon said a year-long investigation had identified eight "principal players" in the conspiracy to bomb tunnels under the Hudson River used by PATH rapid transit trains that carry more than 215,000 commuters a day.
"We believe we intercepted this group early in the plotting and that in fact the plan has largely been disrupted," Mr Mershon said.
The alleged mastermind, Assem Hammoud, a 31-year-old Lebanese national, was arrested and charged in Beirut.
Mr Mershon said two other suspects related to the plot had been arrested overseas but not yet charged. He did not specify where the arrests were made, but added that six foreign governments were helping with the "ongoing" investigation.
None of the plot principals were believed to be in the United States.
According to Mr Mershon, Hammoud had acknowledged being the plan's mastermind and a member of Al-Qaeda who had pledged his allegiance to Osama bin Laden.
"That's part of our comfort level in indicating that we think this is largely disrupted," he said.
The Lebanese security services would only say that the suspect had admitted under interrogation to belonging to an extremist organisation and preparing "a significant act of terrorism" targeting the New York transport network.
He was arrested on April 24 after a "long period" of surveillance that focused on his Internet use, they said.
Initial reports had identified the Holland Tunnel, the main road link under the Hudson River, as the principal target, but the FBI said the group had focused on the PATH tunnels that originate from the World Trade Centre site.
Mr Mershon said the plot had matured to the point where the group was preparing to carry out surveillance of the targets, establish a "regiment of attack" and acquire the necessary materials.
"At that point I think it's entirely appropriate to take it down," he added.
New York City has been on a heightened state of terror alert ever since the September 11, 2001 attack, and transport security was further ramped up in the wake of the 2005 bombings on the London transport system that marked their first anniversary Friday.
Mr Mershon said the investigation had begun one year ago from an "intelligence standpoint" and evolved into a multi-national operation.
He criticised the leaking of information about the plot to the New York Daily News, which broke the story, saying it may have jeopardized the investigation and strained relations with foreign law enforcement agencies.
"We had a number of uncomfortable questions and some upsetting calls with the foreign intelligence services that have been working with us on a daily basis," he said.
The foiling of the plot was seized on by some local politicians to reinforce criticism of federal plans to cut New York's counter-terrorism grant by 40 percent this year.
The measure, announced by the Department of Homeland Security at the end of May, prompted an outcry fuelled by simultaneous announcements that cities like Omaha, Nebraska, and Louisville, Kentucky, would see their funding increased by the same margin.
"When you catch a terrorist and look at the map in his or her pocket it is always a map of New York. Not a map of some other place," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
"And this is just another example, in a long line of them, as to why we have to continue to keep our vigilance up and why with Homeland Security funding we can do that," Mr Bloomberg said.
Link Here
Sources say NYC tunnel plot just 'hate chatter'
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 1:33 AM
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