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07-07-06, 17:14
bbc.com
US foils 'New York tunnel plot'
Manhattan skyline
Plotters are said to have talked of flooding New York's financial district
US authorities say they have disrupted the early stages of a plot to blow up road tunnels around New York city.
The alleged plot was discovered during routine monitoring of internet chatrooms used by extremist groups.
Reports say one man has been arrested in Lebanon over the plot, but the FBI said it had no indication of imminent threats to New York's transport system.
Plotters are thought to have discussed targets including the Holland Tunnel which links Manhattan and New Jersey.
FBI agents said plotters had discussed driving vehicles laden with explosives into several tunnels around Manhattan and then blowing them up.
Information gleaned from the internet suggests the former al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had agreed to give his financial support, the FBI says.
But there is no evidence that any money was sent or explosives bought.
'Flood plan'
The BBC's Jeremy Cooke, in New York, says that this alleged bomb plot seems more ambitious than practical, but that the authorities are clearly taking it as a serious threat and acting accordingly.
A report in the city's Daily News tabloid - which broke the story - says that the plan was to flood parts of the city, including the financial district.
Intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase
Charles Schumer
Democratic Senator
Many New Yorkers though have been quick to point out that as Lower Manhattan is above the level of the river, the plan could never have actually worked, our correspondent adds.
Reports quoting Lebanese security sources said a suspect in the plot - named as Amir Andalousi - had been arrested a month ago.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said this was one instance "where intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase".
A number of plots targeting subways, tunnels and other New York City landmarks have come to light since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
US foils 'New York tunnel plot'
Manhattan skyline
Plotters are said to have talked of flooding New York's financial district
US authorities say they have disrupted the early stages of a plot to blow up road tunnels around New York city.
The alleged plot was discovered during routine monitoring of internet chatrooms used by extremist groups.
Reports say one man has been arrested in Lebanon over the plot, but the FBI said it had no indication of imminent threats to New York's transport system.
Plotters are thought to have discussed targets including the Holland Tunnel which links Manhattan and New Jersey.
FBI agents said plotters had discussed driving vehicles laden with explosives into several tunnels around Manhattan and then blowing them up.
Information gleaned from the internet suggests the former al-Qaeda leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, had agreed to give his financial support, the FBI says.
But there is no evidence that any money was sent or explosives bought.
'Flood plan'
The BBC's Jeremy Cooke, in New York, says that this alleged bomb plot seems more ambitious than practical, but that the authorities are clearly taking it as a serious threat and acting accordingly.
A report in the city's Daily News tabloid - which broke the story - says that the plan was to flood parts of the city, including the financial district.
Intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase
Charles Schumer
Democratic Senator
Many New Yorkers though have been quick to point out that as Lower Manhattan is above the level of the river, the plan could never have actually worked, our correspondent adds.
Reports quoting Lebanese security sources said a suspect in the plot - named as Amir Andalousi - had been arrested a month ago.
Democratic Senator Charles Schumer of New York said this was one instance "where intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase".
A number of plots targeting subways, tunnels and other New York City landmarks have come to light since the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.