Tunnel Plot Is Caught in Early Stage, Schumer Says
By JOHN O'NEIL
Authorities in Lebanon have arrested a man in connection with a plot to blow up the Holland Tunnel, officials said today.
Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York and Representative Peter T. King of Long Island confirmed a report in The Daily News today, which said that the man arrested in Lebanon and an unknown number of other people had discussed exploding a bomb within the tunnel, apparently in hopes of flooding Lower Manhattan.
In a televised interview on CNN, Mr. Schumer said the plot "was caught in its early stages," and said that it had not gotten beyond the talking stage.
"There's no evidence that anything was ever done, no purchase of explosives or even the sending of money," he said.
The Associated Press reported that two federal officials confirmed that Lebanese officials had arrested one man, Amir Andalousli, at the request of the United States. The article in The News said that officials were "scrambling" to arrest others in connection with the charges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a brief statement that "at this time, we have no indication of any imminent threat to the New York transportation system or anywhere else in the United States."
An F.B.I. official in New York declined to comment on the matter. A spokesman for the New York City Police Department said that there had been no recent change in security levels at the tunnel but otherwise declined to comment.
As far as the hope of flooding Manhattan, Mr. Schumer noted that the plot could not have worked because the tunnels lie well below ground level. "It makes no sense whatsoever," he said. "They don't seem to be the brightest bulbs in the terrorist lot."
The News also quoted security experts who said it was unlikely that even a large bomb could flood the Holland Tunnel, which burrows through bedrock below the Hudson River between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.
Still, Mr. King noted that the tunnel has been a target of terrorists before, including a plot uncovered after the World Trade Center bombing in 1993.
Mr. Schumer said the arrest in Lebanon was the result of intercepted Internet conversations. "They were caught by people talking" he said. "In this case, intelligence did its job."
Mr. King, also in a televised interview, said that he had been informed of the investigation's existence nine months ago.
Both Mr. Schumer and Mr. King said that the investigation showed the need for New York City to receive more federal aid, and undermined the argument by Michael Chertoff, the head of the Department of Homeland Security, that federal financing should be directed toward infrastructure improvements and not paying for personnel involved in anti-terrorism efforts.
"This is very draining on New York City's treasury," Mr. King said of the need to protect facilities like the tunnel. "Without going into detail, an extraordinary amount of money has been spent by the New York City Police Department on this particular plot." |
