Terrorists Plotted Against Brooklyn Bridge Before 9/11
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) - Before they wanted the Twin Towers, terrorists may have been eyeing the Brooklyn Bridge.
Newly revealed files from Guantanamo Bay show 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed told an underling to cut the cables on the Brooklyn Bridge. Terrorists were also taught bridge destruction methods at various training camps.
WCBS 880's Paul Murnane: Source Says Thinner Cables Could Have Been Cut In 15 Minutes
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One law enforcement source said a determined terrorist could cut through thinner suspension cables on the Brooklyn Bridge with a power saw in about fifteen minutes, WCBS 880's Paul Murnane reported.
New York City police commissioner Ray Kelly tells the New York Times such a scheme was doable. Security has since been tightened on the span, along with other New York City landmarks.
"I think NYPD has done a great job in terms of building up its intelligence capabilities, its preventative actions," says CBS News National Security Analyst Juan Zarate. "That said, all you need is one terrorist to succeed and you've got major questions and problems on your hands."
Preventing an attack requires gathering good intelligence about terrorists overseas, securities expert Bob Strang at Investigative Management Group. Gathering that intelligence has become trickier as relations with Pakistan and Afghanistan have frayed, according to Strang.
"We're losing the relationships with some of these countries that were so strong just a few years ago and when we have to take our manpower, our resources, and our intelligence network out of these countries, that leaves a big gap," Strang told Murnane.
Is the NYPD doing enough to prevent terror attacks? Are you concerned about security at the Brooklyn Bridge? Sound off in our comments section.
