re: #222 lawhawk

Here’s what I think is off about the story - the NYPD and FBI, which have usually worked quite well together on matters of security, appear to have botched this one in a weird way. The FBI wanted to catch these guys in the act, but the NYPD wanted to stop the plot even before they moved into concrete steps in furtherance of an attack. The Daily News says that the NYPD flooded the field in Queens passing around photos of one of the guys central to this thing, and an imam in Queens appears to have tipped the guy off that investigators were looking for him.

That is quite unlike other similar terror investigations, including the synagogue bombing plot earlier this year and the JFK terror plot last year.

I’m not sure what changed - although the claim that the size and scope were on 9/11 scale may have spooked the NYPD into acting sooner rather than even giving the terrorists opportunity to plot this one.

Also, it appears that Congress was consulted because of the seriousness of the situation and FISA was duly informed and consulted in obtaining multiple warrants. Intel was gathered using FISA warrants domestically, a process that was amended because of perceived problems with the way Bush used the system.

That’s gotta be a hard place for NYPD to be. Your analysis seems reasonable - and while, if that’s the case, they shouldn’t have moved on their own, who’d wanna be the unit that coulda done something if the Feds screwed up and waited a day too long.