NewsCenter 5's Steve Lacey reported Friday that information out of London Friday is in sharp contradiction to what Gov. Mitt Romney said Thursday about the plot.
Several British newspapers are quoting U.S. officials saying the planes targeted by the terrorists were headed to New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston.
British authorities said that the plan was to blow up planes in mid-flight using explosives smuggled in hand luggage. The newspapers reported the bombs were to detonate not over the Atlantic Ocean -- but over the cities while the planes were landing, causing even more casualties on the ground. Despite these reports, the governor is standing by his assertion that the Hub was not at risk.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/wcvb/20060811/lo_wcvb/9664822
Maybe the terrorists were going to loosen the bolts in the Big Dig.
I don't see this as Mitt being stubborn. He's not stupid. The facts are just going to come out in a jumble for the next few days.
The bottom line is exactly what difference does it make, if the plan was to detonate explosives over the Atlantic ocean? Sure, the destinations were symbolic (major American cities), and Boston, having been one of the departure points for the 9/11 terrorists, would probably be on the list, but again, if they didn't intend to reach their destination, the destinations aren't all that relevant.
The fact that American citizens would die, and American aircraft destroyed, OTOH, is very relevant.
Great. My son is flying out of Logan today to come back to DFW. He's been out of touch with the news as to what is going on. So I called him yesterday to tell him to get to the airport early and either get rid of all his shaving cream etc or put it in another bag to check because he usually only travels with carry-on if possible.
This was foiled in the air. What will stop a plot that targets commuter trains in tunnels at rush hour? Or cruise ships at sea?
Does he have to be painted as a liar because he's not giving up all the state secrets and preventing unnecessary panic among his people? He did, after all, call up the National Guard, and that in itself was very telling, without TELLING.
"...but over the cities while the planes were landing, causing even more casualties on the ground."
We need the Captain Obvious picture.
That was exactly what I figured the first time I heard this report. These guys are beyond blowing up airliners. They want our cities. That's why a "dirty bomb" will be the next move.
I dont know about all cities , but the airports around DC would not be that prone to getting a lot of people killed should the plane explode on the approach.
To Washington National the approaches are over water, to Dulles mostly Rural although it is building up. To BWI they come in over water or rural land. Certainly the Urban sprawl has built under some of these flight paths but not as thickly as over a city.
I believe the plot was made to explode over the ocean like the Brits say and some newspaper editor added the polt to explode over cities to sell more papers.
"Report: Boston Targeted In Terror Plot"
No suprise that.
Hardcore Islamists do target places that even some Westerners consider
"decadent".
Like the Taliban ending the practice of warlords taking young male "protoges"
in Kandahar, I guess these terrorist-to-be in England wanted to blast
the ground-zero capital of gay marriage.
No need for terrorism, Mass will destroy itself eventually.
"About 100 guard members were deputized to help with security at the airport." http://cbs4boston.com/topstories/local_story_223130519.html
I'm sure I heard Chertoff deny the explosion over the city scenario yesterday as well.