The Department of Homeland Security issued a warning today about possible terror attacks against the New York subway system during the upcoming holiday season. Here was my analysis, from today's CBN Newswatch. See you all after Thanksgiving, and have a geat one:
"Terror warnings during the holiday season are not uncommon. and the increase in security at train stations during this time of year--especially in big cities like New York--has become routine ever since 9/11. But the government's language in this new warning is more direct, saying that al-Qaeda terrorists recently discussed using "suicide bombers or explosives placed on subway/passenger rail systems." The busy holiday season is obviously the perfect time to do this.
But remember--we are also in a time of transition, with a new administration taking office in January, and al-Qaeda could be looking to test President Obama right off the bat. Still, if these reports of possible subway attacks are true, what do they say about the current state of al-Qaeda? It's common knowledge that the group wants its next attack on U.S. soil to top the carnage of 9/11. They raised the bar very high for themselves that day. In fact, al Qaeda's #2, Ayman al-Zawahiri, actually called off a proposed cyanide gas attack on the New York City subway system back in 2003 becasue he felt that a subway attack wouldn't make a big enough post-9/11 statement and wouldn't cause sufficient casualties. So the new government warning--if correct in its assessment--may reflect a weakened but still dangerous al Qaeda that has lowered the bar a bit for U.S. attacks due to dwindling resources and superior law enforcement and intelligence work by U.S. agencies.