New York mayor Michael Bloomberg Thursday said that the huge effort to built counterterrorism systems in the city had paid off in the arrest of two suspects who had targetted a synagogue and the Empire State Building, DPA reported.
"By assigning 1,000 of our best officers to counterterrorism and intelligence duties, and by investing in high-tech systems that improve our ability to identify and react to potential terrorist activity, the NYPD has been able to prevent terrorists from striking our city since the attacks of 9/11," Bloomberg said.
The two suspects were arrested late Wednesday in Queens as they tried to buy hand grenades and weapons, the New York Times reported.
The two men - age 20 and 26, identified as an ethnic Moroccan and Algerian - planned to attack a synagogue in Manhattan and kill as many Jews as possible, according to New York police chief Ray Kelly. The Empire State Building was also in their cross-hairs, Kelly said.
The two men reportedly were acting alone and not in connection with the international terrorist network al Qaeda.
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