Another Plot Uncovered

The FBI has uncovered a plot to attack tunnels in New York! Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.NY) said, "This is one instance where intelligence was on top of its game." Well, actually, I hope that's not true.

How did our sleuths cotton on to this dastardly plan? According to the AP, by "monitoring Internet chat rooms used by extremists." Now if someone was really planning to set off bombs--or anything else of a dangerous nature--in the tunnels under New York, I'm happy that they were found out before they could do so. But let's face it, the really dangerous people out there aren't going to use Internet chat rooms to develop their schemes, are they? Sure, the FBI has to monitor those rooms, and that might lead to valuable intelligence, but is that being at the top of the intelligence game? Isn't it the kind of routine surveillance that's vital but hardly exceptional?

Apparently, the would-be terrorists in question were not too bright. According to the AP's report, they wanted to blow up the Holland Tunnel in hopes of flooding the financial district like New Orleans was flooded by Katrina. Attacking the tunnel, especially at rush hour, could cause horrific casualties and be highly disruptive to traffic patterns for a long time. But flood lower Manhattan? Not likely: the streets are above the level of the Hudson River.

And where were the bad-actors? Not even in the outer boroughs. Again according to AP, one of these chat-room conspirators was arrested by Lebanese police. And no, not Lebanon, New Hampshire.