Al-Queda Plot Targeted 10 US Cities for Massive Destruction

"A foiled British terror plot to blow up 10 passenger aircraft with liquid bombs was meant to occur over U.S. cities, a senior FBI official says.

Mark Mershon, head of the FBI's New York field office, made the observation at the Infosecurity 2006 conference in New York on Oct. 24. The conference was reported on this week by Government Security News.

"The plan was bring them down over U.S. cities," Mershon said, adding the plotters' goal was to maximize damage and loss of life.

On Aug. 10, British police and the MI5 domestic security service conducted raids in which 25 people were arrested and charged with conspiring to mix liquid bombs from common chemicals taken aboard in carry-on baggage on non-stop Britain-U.S. flights."