NYC Subway Terror Plot May Threaten Holidays, Feds Warn

From the AP:

Police bolstered security in subways and trains Wednesday after the government warned that al-Qaida suicide bombers were contemplating an attack on New York's mass-transit systems during the holiday season. An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press says the FBI has received a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that al-Qaida terrorists in late September may have discussed attacking the subway system.

The internal bulletin says al-Qaida terrorists "in late September may have discussed targeting transit systems in and around New York City. These discussions reportedly involved the use of suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems," according to the document.

"We have no specific details to confirm that this plot has developed beyond aspirational planning, but we are issuing this warning out of concern that such an attack could possibly be conducted during the forthcoming holiday season," according to the warning dated Tuesday.

A person briefed on the matter, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the intelligence-gathering work, said the threat may also be directed at the passenger rail lines running through New York, such as Amtrak and the Long Island Rail Road, which are particularly busy with Thanksgiving holiday travelers.

A federal law enforcement official said there's no indication that anyone involved in the planning is in the United States. That official also spoke on condition of anonymity because it involved intelligence-gathering.

CBS New York has more details on the possible attacks:

Uniformed officers, including this NYPD Counter Terrorism Squad members and Amtrak cops with M-16s, flooded Penn Station Wednesday after the FBI said it had received a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that Al Qaeda operatives discussed a plan two months ago to bomb New York City's mass transit system.

The report said: "These discussions reportedly involved the use of suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems."

Sources told CBS 2 HD the plot involved the Long Island Rail Road. If the explosion went off in Penn Station, the source said, it would affect transportation of Amtrak's northeast corridor between Boston and Washington, LIRR service and New York City subway service.

"This is definitely linked to Al Qaeda and they had very significant details about exactly how they would carry out the attack, where they would carry it out -- that's what makes it sound so plausible," Rep. King said.

The NYPD and Metropolitan Transportation Authority said they were on high alert and adding extra manpower.

Comments

[dphilip]

Can't someone call these guys and thell them we elected the guy we thought the rest of the world wanted and tell them they should stop this?

[vinny]

the alert system at the Dept of Homeland Security is at PUMPKIN. the first thing you see when opening the website is a pumpkin pie... the terror alert indicator is in a little tiny box over to the side...

[bubbuh]

Oooh, fodder for paranoids, the usual Pre-Thanksgiving treat. We have had this "warning" six years in a row now. Except for fear junkies, people can't properly react to this kind of threat assessment when its endlessly repeated and nothing happens. I know some previous posts assert that many threats have been averted in secret; but, c'mon, do you seriously think the Bushies, Homeland Security in generalor the FBI in particular wouldn't have publicized every triumph as evidence of their counter-terrorist prowess?

Have a Happy Thanksgiving. If you are travelling, stay aware. If you see any of the usual odd things (unattended luggage, etc), don't shrug them off. Take swift, appropriate action. Try thinking through some of the possible unpleasant scenarios ahead of timeso that you have, useful, non-jackbauer action plans worked out should the unlikely happen. It'll be a change from blogging.

And, when you get to the feast, beware of explosive stuffing.

[UnknownSoldier]

I live in The Bronx and this is simple if you see a guy or a group of guys trying to light their shoe on fire in a crowded train, just give him a South Bronx welcome.

[vinny]

what' that?

[Nommo]

instead of your shoe up their a$$, their shoe!

[Dianekkdi]

Shop, be jolly and afraid....fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-la

[BlueZoo]

Considering what's happening in Mumbai today, this story takes on a helluva lot of credibility. I lived through the IRA bombings in the '70s in London and can tell you this is no joke. It is not only the murder of innocents involved but also the maiming. These are sights nobody should ever have to deal with! I can only pray it doesn't happen here and that New Yorkers are kept safe. Sigh...what a world we live in today!

[Radarman]

Of course their are 'kept" safe. That is why the good citizens of NYNY cannot carry anything that could be used to defend themselves. That keeps them safe.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Oh, I didn't say it couldn't happen, I am sure if they can get away with it, they will. But I am saying, its not al quaeda who is doing it. I was in Italy as a kid and know the kinds of horrors real terrorists can cause. The ones in the US are not terrorists, they are trained ops that have been given directives by people at the Kroll industries. Kroll has ops all over th world. Trust me, this isn't what you and I know as terrorism, this is a US made deal all the way.

[barriosbabe]

More reasons to take a cab. :-/

[Blankman]

I just like how everyone treats things like these as a joke. I'm speaking beyond the years of bungling of the Bush admin. I'm done with that phase in American history. What I do care about is that there are people out there who hate us, enough to attack us, and Democrats agree on that issue.

But not on here.

All that matters to me is that they're bad guys. I make no bones about our last 50 years of foreign intervention and failed foreign policy. And my party (Republican) has a LION'S SHARE of the bungling. But we're all in this together. And this is something we need to tackle. And there ARE threats, whether you want to marginalize them with partisan banter or not.

[AmbivalentGuy]

Of course there are threats.
What you are seeing is the total lack of confidence
that people have in the nation's security process.

It's the Boy who called Wolf syndrome,
we just don't believe the government at all anymore.

[Ramirez]

Imagine how silly you are going to look when you do a complete 180 on Jan 20. Suddenly the same people in the same agencies providing the same intelligence will suddenly have your total confidence.

[vinny]

exactly, what I see above is a lot of "anonymous" sources providing "unsubstantiated" details to the public...

[brrichter]

Then you, like the rest of us, should want and require warnings of substance and not routine. Not just a memo of some al-Qaida people sitting around talking about blowing up stuff. The warning should include intelligence of a plan in action, not guys sitting around a campfire talking about blowing things up. And if such a threat existed, then i hope they have more plans than "increased police presence".

Guess what Blankman, Christmas is just around the corner. You wanna wager about another "routine" warning?

[DMcMillan]

Oh Blankman. W has sold us the bad guy lie for way too long. Stop biting the bait.
Yes, there is a threat, but if you want to move on, the way you say you do, would you
consider that in order to move into the future and face the 'threat', that it is imperative
to understand that threat in its' entirety? In doing so you have to admit that in many
ways America, guided by W, is responsible for exacerbating this threat and bringing
this threat to the Homeland.

Or not. One could linger above the surface of real events that brought us to where we
are today and live happily ever after, never knowing the truth. Both parties are bad.

[Radarman]

So what is the threat in its' entirety? And how is GW responsible for making it worse? Al-Qaeda's first terrorist attack was in 1992, GW was managing a baseball team in TX. The 2nd attack was the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, GW was still running that ball team. Third was the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing GW was Gov of TX. Fourth attack was 1998, our embassy in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. Fifth attack was again our embassy in Nairobi, Kenya. GW is still just a Governor in TX. Sixth attack was October 2000, on the USS Cole. At this point GW is a candidate for PRES. but is still really just the GOV of TX. And of course there is Bosnia and Kosovo, Richard Holbrooke stated, there were over 1,000 people in Bosnia who belonged to what we now know was al-Qaida, and if you look at the 9/11 hijackers, several of those hijackers were trained or fought in Bosnia. London's The Spectator has noted, "If Western intervention in Afghanistan created the mujahedin, Western intervention in Bosnia appears to have globalised it." Several current and former top al-Qaeda militants and financiers reportedly participated in the Bosnian civil war with the full support of the United States. That would be trained by us and fought on the side we supported from 1993 to 1998. So during those long years who was in charge and so is responsible for exacerbating this threat?

[bamilt0]

Yeah, I don't really see this making my commuter any longer than it already is... Sadly, if they REALLY wanted to strike fear into the hearts of Americans they'd have to, like, figure out a way to get American Idol knocked out or poison McDonald's french fries. What would we do?!

[adamsmith3]

Just because past attack warnings yielded no attacks doesn't mean there were no plans. Many plans are disrupted (remember planes from London to New York a few years back?). You don't have to live in fear, but that doesn't mean you ignore reality.

[sunbeltvoter]

They say the purpose of the OBL attacks is to destroy the economy of the West. So in 2001 they struck at financial buildings to damage the world economy.

By that logic, in 2008 blowing up financial buildings in NYC would be counterproductive.

Blowing up a hedge fund and destroying the only copy of their IOU for $10 trillion dollars of toxic junk mortgage backed nonsecurity derived credit default swap gambling debt would HELP the US economy. Leaving the bad paper intact will help cause the further downfall of the US economy.

[Ramirez]

You should join the Obama financial team.

[UnknownSoldier]

LOL that is too funny

[iRob08]

No, the real terror will be if the MTA cuts services on some lines and raise the fares, like they are planning. Two fare hikes, actually. That means less trains and more overcrowding for more money.

Seasons Greetings everyone!

[CaptD]

Heighten Awareness (HA) is a good thing as the police officers (etc.) need the overtime pay during the holidays; look for additional HA DAYS in the future...
+
If nothing happens, everyone feels like we got duped

BUT

If something does happen then we'll feel like it should have been prevented!

I suggest that we look at this like having a lifeguard at a pool or the beach; it just makes since...

[iRob08]

'tis the season to be frightened, fa-la-la-la-la la-la la-la

[Blankman]

I'm astonished by what I'm reading on here. Have these warnings in the past come accompanied by attacks? No. They haven't. Does that mean it's a scare tactic? No. And President Elect Obama is seeing the same intelligence that leads to these reports. So I'm sure he's in the know.

I'm sure some of you are here in NY. But many of you aren't. And you speak of what you simply do not know. Sit behind your screens and call them scare tactics and propaganda. Many of you will simply never have to worry, so good for you.

[DMcMillan]

Oh Blankman. You do remember the warning that Sadam had WMDs?
We were told that we better get over to I Raq, lest we Yanks lose our
freedom fries and everything thing else that begins and ends with 'freedom'.

I'm sure you have heard by now that that was a scare tactic?
No? Are you not the least bit suspicious as to what length the gov
will go to and why such ins ane tactics and lies to good great Americans?

[nomobull]

maybe if we had not been lied to so many times by the bush administration .we would be more inclined to not question what we are being told now. and hopefully the government will do their job this time.