ANDALOUSI, AND SAID HE WAS "A SUSPECT IN A PLOT TO BOMB A TUNNEL IN NEW YORK." "AFTER QUESTIONING HE CONFESSED ... THAT HE WAS PLANNING TO TRAVEL TO PAKISTAN FOR FOUR MONTHS TRAINING AND THAT THE DATE FOR THE ATTACK WAS DECIDED TO BE LATE IN 2006," LEBANON'S INTERIOR MINISTRY SAID IN A STATEMENT. AN INITIAL REPORT OF THE PLOT IN NEW YORK'S DAILY NEWS NEWSPAPER HAD SAID IT TARGETED THE CAR-CARRYING HOLLAND TUNNEL WITH A BOMB. THE NEWSPAPER SAID THE INTENT WAS TO FLOOD THE WALL STREET FINANCIAL DISTRICT, BUT EXPERTS SAID SUCH A BLAST WOULD NOT HAVE FLOODED LOWER MANHATTAN. WALL STREET IS SOME TWO MILES (THREE KM) FROM THE TUNNEL, WHICH IS DUG UNDER BEDROCK AND REINFORCED WITH CONCRETE AND STEEL. THE MONTHS-OLD PLOT WAS UNCOVERED BY MONITORING INTERNET CHAT ROOMS, THE DAILY NEWS REPORTED, AND THE REPORT WAS PUBLISHED ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE LONDON SUICIDE BOMBINGS THAT KILLED 52 PEOPLE. IT WAS THE SECOND RECENT DOMESTIC THREAT AUTHORITIES HAVE SAID THEY BROKE UP IN THE EARLY STAGES, FOLLOWING THE ARREST OF SEVEN PEOPLE LAST MONTH ON SUSPICION OF A PLAN TO ATTACK THE SEARS TOWER IN CHICAGO. ONE OFFICIAL DESCRIBED THAT PLOT AS BEING "MORE ASPIRATIONAL THAN OPERATIONAL." THE FBI AND THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SAID IN A STATEMENT THE "TERRORIST NETWORK" WAS LINKED TO AL QAEDA, AND THE DAILY NEWS SAID IT WAS LINKED TO ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI, THE AL QAEDA LEADER IN IRAQ RECENTLY KILLED BY U.S. FORCES. "WE KNOW AL QAEDA CONTINUES TO HAVE AN INTEREST IN ATTACKING THE UNITED STATES. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, THERE IS NO SPECIFIC OR CREDIBLE INFORMATION THAT AL QAEDA IS PLANNING AN ATTACK ON U.S. SOIL," THE U.S. STATEMENT SAID.
