AJC Applauds Worldwide Cooperation to Avoid Terror Disaster in Chicago

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Oct 30, 2010, 07:50 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC applauded law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the U.S., Europe and Middle East for averting terror disasters at synagogues in Chicago or possibly mid-air.

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"Nine years after the horrific 9/11 terror massacres, al Qaeda reminds us that all Americans remain targets for its twisted Islamist lust for destruction and mayhem," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "Jewish institutions may have been the targets this time in what clearly was a plan driven by unbridled hatred of Jews wherever they may live, but all Americans must remain forever vigilant, as the pervasive threat of terrorism is real and unending."

While details of the terror plot are still emerging, it appears that the bombs were constructed by al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, and destined for the U.S. on UPS and FedEx jets before being seized by authorities in Dubai and Britain. The bombs had the same chemical substance, PETN, used by the Christmas Day bomber last December, who failed to ignite the explosive in his underwear as the plane landed in Detroit.

"Americans look to Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations, who themselves have been in the crosshairs of Islamist-inspired terrorism, to ensure the fullest possible assistance with the investigation to apprehend those responsible for these cargo bombs and other planned plots," said Harris.

"No expense can be spared to ensure that the massive volumes of mail, packages, and other cargo are secure from terrorist plots, whether on cargo planes or commercial flights," Harris said. "That's the unfortunate reality of twenty-first century life, and that requires the maximum possible international cooperation."

SOURCE American Jewish Committee