PATH Tube Bomb Plot
The PATH Tube Bomb Plot refers to a planned attack involving the use of bombs in subway tunnels connecting lower Manhattan to northern New Jersey. In July 2006, FBI officials announced the arrest of a man in Lebanon and the detention of two others on suspicion of conspiracy to carry out this attack. The plot was characterized by its early-stage discussions and lacked concrete actions—no explosives were acquired, no surveillance was conducted, and the suspects had not met in person. The primary suspect, Assem Hammoud, admitted to discussing the plot, which had been under consideration for about a year. The intended method involved using suicide bombers to create a breach in the tunnels, potentially allowing floodwaters from the Hudson River to inundate parts of Manhattan. Federal authorities emphasized that while there was significant discussion among the alleged plotters, there was no imminent threat, and the situation was under control. The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding domestic security and the vigilance of law enforcement in thwarting potential terrorist activities.
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PATH Tube Bomb Plot
FBI officials announced on July 7 that one man had been arrested in Lebanon and two others taken into custody on suspicion of plotting to blow up subway tunnels linking lower Manhattan with northern New Jersey.
Officials said the plot had not advanced beyond general discussions. No explosives had been acquired, no surveillance had taken place, and the conspirators had not met one another, according to news accounts.
The announcement marked the second time in a month that federal authorities said they had uncovered a bomb plot in its early stages involving people who swore allegiance to al Qaeda without necessarily actually joining the organization. In June 2006 a group in Miami comprised primarily of Haitian exiles or descendants of Haitians was accused of talking about acquiring explosives to launch a "war" against the United States in sympathy with al Qaeda. As in the subway tunnel plot, the Miami conspirators had not advanced to the point of acquiring materials or formulating a specific plan.
The Suspects
The chief suspect in the plot to bomb train tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey was identified by FBI officials as Assem Hammoud, age 31, arrested on Apr. 27, 2006, and still being held. Officials said he had admitted discussing the plot.
Two other unidentified men suspected of being part of the discussion were being held at undisclosed locations, American officials said. Altogether eight people were alleged to have been involved in the plot, which had been under discussion for a year.
In announcing the plot, FBI officials said that monitoring internet chat rooms had led them to focus on the alleged plotters. New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelley said at a press conference that "there was a lot of discussion, there was planning being done; but there was no indication that there was any movement toward these facilities. There was no indication that materials were secured or that specific reconnaissance was done."
The FBI official in charge of the bureau's New York office, Mark Mershon, said the plotters planned to carry out the attacks in the autumn of 2006, although he conceded that they had not taken any concrete steps to do so.
The plot was first reported by the New York Daily News, which said the idea was to explode bombs inside the Holland Tunnel, an automobile route linking lower Manhattan to New Jersey. The idea was to blow a hole in the tunnel, thereby causing flooding of lower Manhattan. Later news reports said the plot focused on the tunnels of the Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) subway trains. News reports said the plotters planned to use six or eight suicide bombers aboard the PATH trains to blow a hole in the tunnel that would allow waters of the lower Hudson River to flood Manhattan near the site of the former World Trade Center. Still another account suggested the plotters might attack PATH tunnels that terminate in mid-Manhattan, which might allow floodwaters into the New York City subway system where it comes near the PATH trains at Pennsylvania Station.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, was quoted as telling a news conference: "We did not wait, and we do not wait, until the fuse is lit; we swoop in as early as possible. We were not at a point where we were concerned that something might happen imminently."
Chertoff added: "There was never a concern that this would actually be executed."