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Photo Courtesy AP/Kathy Willen
Reports surfaced yesterday about a new terrorist plan to attack the New York City transit system using suicide bombers. The FBI called the plot "uncorroborated, but plausible" that was allegedly triggered by information obtained from a Pakistani citizen arrested overseas last week. Despite the unsubstantiated nature of the threat, it drew extra attention due to its involvement of top aides to Osama Bin Laden.
Newsday reports that "sources said the target would have been trains arriving at Penn Station." While there has been no adjustment to the terror threat level for the city or the transit system specifically (which remains at the national level of yellow), the NYPD has beefed up its presence at major transit hubs.
While the Times says that the timing of the threat going public was purely coincidental with the Thanksgiving holiday, the News reports that officials told them the terrorists involved were targeting New York "during the holiday season to create an opportunity for maximum carnage."
Long Island Congressman Peter King, a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, told the press, "(The threat is) serious, significant and plausible. It is probably still aspirational, being discussed and possibly planned."
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Is it cynical for me to say that if we were attacked, at least the Feds and state would cough up funding for infastructure repairs and improvements and that maybe MTA employee morale would be improved through patriotism so they actually give a shit?
MTA the Target of New Terrorist Threat
...the terrorists involved were targeting New York "during the holiday season to create an opportunity for maximum carnage."
Wow, is it already time for MTA/TWU contract negotiations again?
Wasn't there a post about this yesterday?
Anyway, if we continue to invade Arab nations and throw mostly unconditional support/aid to Israel, we're going to keep having to live in this fear.
Stupid Jewish lobby.
This threat will return year after year during each and every holiday regardless if its substantiated or not. The possibility of it happening will never go away.
Too late, this story should have been leaked before November 4th.
@Bottomless:
Right since supporting a nation is grounds to have innocent civilians targeted for homicide bombings. And we don't support any Arabic nations at all, just Israel, right?
#3 yeah, that makes a lot of sense, Bottomless Chips. They attack us, and, you know, it's OUR OWN FUCKING FAULT.
So I propose you atone for our sins then - Please go tomorrow to Times Square and immolate yourself with gasoline for the West's sins in the Arab world. I think Al Qaeda will be pleased, we may even get a free pass until after Christmas. Are you a jew? They'll be doubly pleased - maybe that will last us until next summer.
Allah sucks dick.
Happy thanksgiving!
At #7: Yes, it is our fault. We have a military presence in far too many countries to expect to not suffer from any retribution....
The MTA should rush through the fare increase and collect some extra money before we're all killed.
#1 So the MTA employees'patriotism hinges on the amount of money the federal government hands over for infrastructure funding? That's hardly patriotism at all.
Good thing the under-paid, under-supplied, under-fed and over-worked Continental Army didn't feel that way during the Revolution.
Obama is an appeaser. While hippy-dippy liberals see this as enlightenment, Muslim terrorists see it as weakness and an invitation to aggression. Personally, I think Obama is squarely on the side of the jihadists, a traitor.
This isn't news. It's a presence that is always in the "chatter". The fact that it is given coverage makes me think that it is more feasible than usual. And whether we have presence in middle eastern countries has little to do with it; they hate our style of life and will continue to kill and destroy, all in the name of Allah.
#6 which Arab nation do we support except for a few hypocritical relationships for oil?
Anyways, terrorists are an extremely small part of the Muslim population but they tend to make the news alot. Jews and Christians have terrorists too you know, they just have better control of the media thus avoid being labeled as such.
Al Qaeda is a product of the CIA and that’s just a reminence of the cold war. The same way that Saddam Hussein was armed by us to fight Iran. How we quickly turn our allies into enemies is a long discussion but when you become an undisputed world power its to be expected...
Maximum carnage during the holidays?
As far as I know, the trains here are full during the rush hours on work days. Not during the holidays.
But what do I know about terrorism? I am just a New Yorker. We are not real people.
Can Gothamist stop spreading this fear mongering (to get more funding) by AL-CIADA advised FBI?
#7 - great answer:)
#3 - "stupid Jewish lobby"? I gueess you consider yourself smarter? Hopefully wisdom does come soon to you and you realize it is not nice to use derogatory words.
US supports Israel - it is a good thing for all of us (I mean us - Americans). Islamic fundamentalsm is not only after the Jewish Nation - it is after all infidel western world. Israel is the forefront of the western world in the middle east, and we should all support it.
#6 and #7,
Please don't misinterpret my comments as saying "We deserve it." To the contrary; Americans are benevolent and we donate mightily across the globe. We have done nothing.
It's our foreign policy and officials who continue to believe in our policies.
Thus, we shouldn't be surprised when these threats come, though we certainly don't deserve it.
It's like a snakepit. I may love animals and be a vegetarian, but if I put my foot into it and am bitten should I be shocked?
#14 and others,
I think you don't fully understand our nation's history when it comes to foreign policy and our CIA.
Financially, we support all nations, sadly. But we throw more aid to the Saudis and Israel and throw more unabashed support to Israel that we're bound to create enemies. It's reason 1B for why bin Laden decided to attack us. Read the 9/11 Report; al-Zarqawi really liked his time in the US as a student. He's didn't think Americans deserved to die, just the Americans who led our foreign policy. According to the 9/11 report, initially, al-Zarqawi, bin Laden, and Atta were going to attack the Capital, not the WTC. Why? Because they believed that Congress was where the aid for Israel came and our support for them. They are correct in that thought. Americans are wishy washy on the topic; Americans support Palestine, too. But Congress continues to allow Palestinians to suffer while turning a blind cheek to Israel.
So, no, I NEVER SAID we deserve it. We don't. We, as a nation and city, as swell people who rally around each other and donated our monetary wealth to the world in times of crises (monsoons and earthquakes of early 2000s).
However, when we have the pigs inside the Beltway screwing around with our tax monies to conflicting nations we shouldn't be surprised when people threaten us as a message. That doesn't mean we should accept it lying down, but we shouldn't be shocked.
How we would respond if a country treated us like America does to Palestine.
Yes, on this issue, I do consider myself smarter.
How can you say that about Israel? The forefront of what? Being our stepchild?
Slaughter Palestinians and Lebanese is hardly something I can get behind as an America. Israel is not good for America.
this is possible anywhere at all times. terrorism is a fact of life and no nation with the US' foreign relations "rap sheet" can expect to be exempt from this..
that said, we should not live in fear etc
btw the israel lobby pales in comparison to the saudi lobby
"#14 and others,
I think you don't fully understand our nation's history when it comes to foreign policy and our
CIA."
None of us understand or know all the details...thats why its the CIA.
Basic facts remain that Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein where monsters that we created.
@bottomless:
The point is that no matter what policy a government has in place, its citizens should not "expect" to be retaliated against when they are innocent unarmed bystanders. The fact that they use our relationship with Israel as the rationale for killing innocents is abominable. There is NO justification for attacking civilians because you don't agree with their nation's foreign policy. By this same logic, if we stopped supporting Israel, we should expect them to kill our innocent civilians?
It's my understanding that most terrorists claim that our complete support of Israel is the cause of their attacks.
Support of Israel + Occupation of Islamic countries = Terror threats at the US.
Combined with the tragedy in India, the timing makes this especially scary.
Oh, Chips, you're an asshole. No, really.
The US has been fighting islamic terrorists since the days of the Barbary Pirates; it's the reason the US Navy was created. It was explained to then ambassador to England John Adams by an Arab representative that muslims had the right and obligation to subjugate any nations that did not bow down to Allah. That's still the case; it has nothing to do with support of Israel, George Bush or any other recent politics.
osama who?
Because I'm pointing out facts? I'm not justifying the use of violence or terror. Yet, many don't seem to read past "this is an expected response to our support of Israel" and think I'm an "asshole."
Also, 24, you mention India. Hmmmmm. So Americans, Brits, and Jews were targeted in this attack. Again--in no way do I condone this, and am terrified for those in that situation--but if we can objectively look the motive, the motive is clear as those three nations have led the Zionist movement in the Middle East.
Again--THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE FOR KILLING--it's the motive, though.
It's like if someone kills someone in this country. If the detectives start looking for a motive and evidence do we call say "You're an asshole. Murderers are evil!"
Well, duh, murdering people is evil. But we gotta figure out the motive for these crimes instead of just going: Oh, they're born evil, those dirty Arabs.
I disagree.
There are many who voted for Obama because of foreign policy and they're sick of war. Though I think he offers no change, their belief is that our standing is so bad around the world that more people hate us than ever before. And when people hate you, bad things (terror) happen.
I agree with this statement and have stated that numerous times already.
What does this mean? The logic is that if we stop supporting Israel, we create fewer crazy, killing enemies.
I knew the Barbary Wars would come up; they always do in such arguments. And everytime they do, I shake my head.
Yes. They were Muslims. But, yes, this was about stealing. Two totally different objectives. I would hardly call it "Islamic terrorism."
Furthermore, it supports my argument; if we just left them alone, we would be find. When you try to subjugate, appease, or pay off these nations, you end up getting yourself into more trouble than you bargained for.