Friday, June 30, 2006

Sears Tower terror plotters hoped to use tunnels to bring down skyscraper

New details are emerging about the Miami-based jihad group's plans to destroy Chicago's Sears Tower.

From CBS 2 Chicago:

Prosecutors talked about a plan to take down the Sears Tower with dynamite. CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports on how they planned to gain access to the Chicago landmark.

On Thursday, it was revealed the Sears Tower was the centerpiece of the plot to kick-off a holy war by setting off dynamite in tunnels beneath the 110-story skyscraper.

The alleged ringleader, Narseal Batiste, had told an FBI informant that his contacts from a delivery job he once held were going to help his group use tunnels under Chicago to stage an attack, prosecutors said.

Batiste, the former Chicagoan and delivery man, was undoubtedly familiar with the subterranean passages off Lower Wacker Drive leading to the building's lower levels and perhaps the network of tunnels beneath the city -- the ones flooded by the Chicago River years ago.

The network of tunnels below downtown Chicago were built in the 19th century for rail-car coal deliveries. The tunnels are sealed and guarded, so getting the dynamite into the tunnels--presumably more than one trip would be needed, would've been the most difficult part of their plan to bring down America's tallest building.

A side note: One of legendary Chicago columnist Mike Royko's alter-ego characters once suggested that those tunnels be turned into dungeons to house our worst criminals. Imagine if President Bush announced that he's closing down the Guantanamo Bay detention facility, and replacing it with new accomodations in Chicago.

Technorati tags:

No comments: