NY: Četiri terorista planirala napad na sinagogu

U New Yorku su uhićena četiri muškaraca koja su planirala teroristički napad na sinagogu. Prijeti im kazna doživotnog zatvora.

One of four terror plot suspects is taken into custody.

U.S. authorities charged four men with plotting to bomb a synagogue and a Jewish community centre in New York and to shoot down military planes using surface-to-air missiles.

FBI officers arrested the four American-born suspects following a year-long undercover operation.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) FBI ASSISTANT DIRECTOR JOE DEMAREST SAYING:

"We had a confidential informant involved, and we targeted four individuals that planned and schemed to bomb two Jewish facilities here in the Bronx, and to take down military aircraft up at Stewart airport."

The men, three of whom are Muslim converts, were arrested after buying a dummy missile and fake explosives in a sting operation.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY SAYING:

"The bombs had been made by the FBI technicians -- they were totally inert, no one was ever at risk or danger of being injured this evening."

New York has remained on high alert since the 9/11 attacks more than eight years ago.

The plot came to light after one of the men - born of Afghan descent - allegedly told a FBI informant that he wanted to hurt America in retaliation for the number of civilian casualties being killed in Afghanistan by U.S. forces.

The men are due to appear in White Plains, New York, federal court later on Thursday.

Helen Long, Reuters