Suspects in NY jihad plot due in court (Reuters)

[Yahoo! News]

Reuters - New York's mayor and police chief sought to calm Jewish worshipers on Thursday, the morning after authorities said they foiled a plot to blow up two synagogues and simultaneously shoot down military planes.

Four men arrested in the suspected plot were due to appear in court later in the day in White Plains, New York. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said all four had criminal records and did not appear to be part of al Qaeda.

As they greeted worshipers at one of the targeted synagogues Thursday morning, Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg conveyed calm following the latest threat to New York City, which has been on high alert for another attack since the September 11 hijacked plane attacks of 2001.

The FBI and New York police arrested the four Muslim men on Wednesday night after they planted what they believed to be explosives in two cars -- one parked outside each synagogue -- and planned to head to an air base with what they thought was an activated stinger surface-to-air missile.

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