FBI Foils Attack by Monitoring Chat Rooms

An anonymous reader writes "A planned terrorist attack on New York City was reportedly foiled by FBI agents who monitored chat rooms frequented by extremists. Lebanese authorities captured an Al Qaeda member who confessed to the plot, and stated that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had pledged financial and other support for the operation. Although the planning for the operation was not far along, according to U.S. officials, they had already been monitoring the plot for a year." From the article: "A government official with knowledge of the investigation said the alleged plot did focus on New York's transport system, but did not target the Holland Tunnel. New York senator Charles Schumer said: 'This is one instance where intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase.' The Holland Tunnel is protected not just by bedrock, but also by concrete and cast-iron steel. One counter-terrorism source told the Daily News it was doubtful a plot to blow it up would be feasible, saying huge amounts of explosives and a detailed knowledge of blast effect would be necessary."

Where?

[JavaLord]

What chat rooms do they hang out in? #osama or something?

Read all about it

[SuperKendall]

One counter-terrorism source told the Daily News it was doubtful a plot to blow it up would be feasible, saying huge amounts of explosives and a detailed knowledge of blast effect would be necessary."

Not to worry, the New York Times will be publishing a how-to guide next week complete with tunnel schematics and rates of expansion for various explosives.

Re:Here's the log

[Anonymous Coward]

bloodaxe> I put on my robe and Arab hat.

honestly...

[Wakko Warner]

... if terrorists were to blow up all the roads and bridges in New York City, they'd be doing everybody a favor.

Have you ever actually tried driving on them?

Comment removed

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

Bridges and Tunnels

[Lev13than]

One counter-terrorism source told the Daily News it was doubtful a plot to blow it up would be feasible, saying huge amounts of explosives and a detailed knowledge of blast effect would be necessary.

Maybe the terrorists just need toAsk a Navy SEAL [theonion.com]:

Dear Navy SEAL,
I am a happily married man with a warm and loving wife who is also my best friend. We've been together for 17 years and couldn't be happier. But lately she says she wants separate beds. I'm reeling! We're barely in our 40s, and in my mind separate sleeping is for seniors. Am I making too much of this? Help!
--Anxious In Andersonville

Dear Anxious,
Destroying a bridge might look easy in the movies, but remember: They're designed to withstand the immense shear-forces of wind and weather. Deploying an underwater M-32 satchel charge at the base of each load-bearing pylon looks like the answer, but it might not even shake a modern riveted steel highway or railroad bridge. Without delving into the complex language of the guerrilla combat engineer, the best advice I can give you is to forgo subtlety in favor of brute force: Put two satchel charges at each X-shaped trestle buck, and this should rob the bridge of any reinforcing strength and cause it to buckle nicely.

Re:Spying on you is good m'kay

[Anonymous Coward]

> I feel safer, don't you?

I'd feel safer if you were in Guantanamo.

How it went down

[Jah-Wren Ryel]

New York senator Charles Schumer said: 'This is one instance where intelligence was on top of its game and discovered the plot when it was just in the talking phase.'

<Lailaha> Dudez! WTF is that abu-ass-grab torture sh!tz?
<Iqbal> Totally.
<Lailaha> We should do something about it.
<Iqbal> Yeah, like blow something up
<Lailaha> No wayz, that's so 911.
<Iqbal> Ok, get this - we flood the new york subway!
<Lailaha> My uncle's 3rd wife's brother's couzin is zawqari's best bud, he could hook us up!
<Iqbal> Isn't he dead?
<Lailaha> Nah, that's just the cover story. He's hiding out with 20 virgins, practicing for the big day!
<Iqbal> That's sooo cool, I wish I had 20 virgins.
<Lailaha> Yah, me twoz
<Iqbal> Hey, wtf, someone is banging on my door.
<Iqbal> BRB

<Lailaha> ?? u there ??

<Lailaha> I gotz school, culaterz

Paranoia alert

[Medievalist]

Whenever I hear something like this, I immediately think "What are they trying to distract me from now?"

Did Bush's daughters invade Namibia or something?

Re:Where?

[Tackhead]

> What chat rooms do they hang out in? #osama or something?

*s4dd4m has left the game*
george: PWN3D!
rlijunopeece: o rly george were stil gonna pwn u again
o54m4: ya how?
rlijunopeece: blow up ur tunnel n flood u like n00b orleans
054m4: d00d ur plan sux nycs above sea level
abdul: up urs n00b
*kimjongillin* has joined the game kimjongillin: NUKES! I GOT NUKES!
amacannapronounceit: d00d gimme some plz! benn workin on em 4 so long got so much cash just gimme one plz plz plz?
kimjongillin: ok ok d00d lemme test em 1st
*flowersbyirene* has joined the game
flowersbyirene: d00d i can help u get nukes frm kimmy just paypal me ill set it up
ackbar: IT'S A TRAP!

nope, #0

[bigtrike]

The feds had one hell of time joining it, however

Bash

[christian.elliott]

Reminds me of this Bash.org quote [bash.org].

Stormrider> I should bomb something

Stormrider> ...and it's off the cuff remarks like that that are the reason I don't log chats

Stormrider> Just in case the FBI ever needs anything on me

Elzie_Ann> I'm sure they can just get it from someone who DOES log chats.

*** FBI has joined #gamecubecafe

FBI> We saw it anyway.

*** FBI has quit IRC (Quit: )

Re:honestly...

[TubeSteak]

if terrorists were to blow up all the roads and bridges in New York City, they'd be doing everybody a favor.

Not to mention that they'd do it for less that it'd cost to pay the Union guys.

Wanted: Terrorists with expertise in explosives & road demolition work. Pay will be half of the prevailing union wages. Benefits include: A first class plane ticket to/from your country of origin, free housing in a former prison converted to a 3-star hotel, and round the clock VIP police escort.

Re:Blowing up a tunnel is hard work

[Fulcrum of Evil]

All that would happen (God forbid) if anyone tried to blow up a tunnel would be to cripple the traffic in Manhattan (which pretty bad as is) but it would take a lot of explosives to actually destroy a tunnel from within if it's a tube.

Screw the tunnel - just take out the roadbed. Let's see all those tards in H2s try and negotiate a 2 foot crater - comedy gold!

Re:Where?

[conJunk]

george: I put on my robe and wizard hat