Posted on 05/07/2011 12:18:31 PM PDT by STARWISE
Already on high alert because of the killing of Osama bin Laden, rail services in the Chicago area took extra steps Friday to protect their passengers after learning of terrorists scheme to derail a train in the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security and FBI released an alert Thursday saying that since February 2010, al Qaeda was discussing a terrorist operation against trains, said Roderick Drew of the Chicagos 911 center.
There is no recent information indicating an active ongoing plot to target transportation, nor is there information on possible locations or specific targets, Drew said.
After the alert was issued, Metra boosted its track inspections, said agency spokeswoman Judy Pardonnet. Metra is guarding against derailments by using geometry cars to ensure tracks are the proper width and highliner trucks to inspect the tracks, Pardonnet said.
In 2007, officials discovered that railroad spikes were missing from tracks on Metras Electric and South Shore lines. The FBI is continuing to investigate their disappearance. Theres a $50,000 reward for information leading to whomever is responsible, Pardonnet said.
Metra has also bolstered uniformed police patrols of its stations and platforms, as well as the use of bomb dogs, Pardonnet said.
Metra, the Chicago Transit Authority and Amtrak have been on high alert since U.S. Special Forces killed bin Laden at his home in Pakistan in a daring raid Sunday, officials said.
Plainclothes Chicago Police officers have been placed in uniform since Monday to increase their visibility, a department spokeswoman said.
Thursdays alert warned of the possibility of an attack that could take place on a significant U.S. date such as Sept. 11 the 10th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack.
The alert stemmed from a handwritten notebook from February 2010 that was recovered from the home of bin Laden. The notebook included passages about tampering with rail tracks to derail a train on a bridge, possibly on Christmas, New Years Day, the day of the State of the Union address or Sept. 11, the New York Times reported Friday.
Although the alert did not list any targeted cities, material gathered from bin Ladens home indicated that al Qaeda was focused on striking Washington, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, federal officials said.
Rest @ link
That would be a crisis Mayor Emmanuel would like not to see
I can never figure out why these terorist types always go after the poor working taxpaying slob. Why don’t they go after our foul political class? By going after our foul, low, corrupt, and degenerate politicians they may win grudging support from the public. They have bad leadership following bad strategy.
Wasn’t there a vanity post on here a few days ago that mentioned lots of cars parked at Arab neighbor’s house, who lived in poster’s dad’s neighborhood? For some reason I’m thinking it might’ve been Chicago area he was talking about.
I wouldn't bet on it. It would also be seen as a personal attack on Dear Leader with his "ties" to Chicago.
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