Numerous Terror Attacks on U.S. Thwarted Since September 11, 2001

It's been in the right sidebar for a couple of days now, but I think it's time to stop and focus on the list of known terror attacks thwarted by the U.S. government since September 11, 2001.  It's a long list. 

From Fox News:

• December 2001, Richard Reid: British citizen attempted to ignite shoe bomb on flight from Paris to Miami.   

• May 2002, Jose Padilla: American citizen accused of seeking "dirty bomb," convicted of conspiracy.

• September 2002, Lackawanna Six: American citizens of Yemeni origin convicted of supporting Al Qaeda. Five of six were from Lackawanna, N.Y.

• May 2003, Iyman Faris: American citizen charged with trying to topple the Brooklyn Bridge.

• June 2003, Virginia Jihad Network: Eleven men from Alexandria, Va., trained for jihad against American soldiers, convicted of violating the Neutrality Act, conspiracy.

• August 2004, Dhiren Barot: Indian-born leader of terror cell plotted bombings on financial centers (see additional images).

• August 2004, James Elshafay and Shahawar Matin Siraj: Sought to plant bomb at New York's Penn Station during the Republican National Convention.

• August 2004, Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain: Plotted to assassinate a Pakistani diplomat on American soil.

• June 2005, Father and son Umer Hayat and Hamid Hayat: Son convicted of attending terrorist training camp in Pakistan; father convicted of customs violation.

• August 2005, Kevin James, Levar Haley Washington, Gregory Vernon Patterson and Hammad Riaz Samana: Los Angeles homegrown terrorists who plotted to attack National Guard, LAX, two synagogues and Israeli consulate.

• December 2005, Michael Reynolds: Plotted to blow up refinery in Wyoming, convicted of providing material support to terrorists.

• February 2006, Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Zand Wassim Mazloum: Accused of providing material support to terrorists, making bombs for use in Iraq.

• April 2006, Syed Haris Ahmed and Ehsanul Islam Sadequee: Cased and videotaped the Capitol and World Bank for a terrorist organization.

• June 2006, Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, Lyglenson Lemorin, and Rotschild Augstine: Accused of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower.

• July 2006, Assem Hammoud: Accused of plotting to hit New York City train tunnels.

• August 2006, Liquid Explosives Plot: Thwarted plot to explode ten airliners over the United States.

• May 2007, Fort Dix Plot: Six men accused of plotting to attack Fort Dix Army base in New Jersey.

• June 2007, JFK Plot: Four men accused of plotting to blow up fuel arteries underneath JFK Airport in New York.

• March 2007, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed: Mastermind of Sept. 11 and author of numerous plots confessed in court in March 2007 to planning to destroy skyscrapers in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

So what sort of destruction have terrorists attempted to wreak since September 11, 2001?   They 've tried to explode passenger planes in flight; they've sought to obtain or build a dirty bomb; they've supported Al Qaeda; they've plotted to blow up at least one bridge, office towers, a train station and train tunnels, a refinery, fuel arteries, banks and financial centers, and synagogues; they've attempted to kill U.S. soldiers; and they've plotted at least one assassination.

This list does not include terror attacks that were actually carried out.  Among those I would count the anthrax attack that came shortly after September 11, 2001 and the Washington sniper attacks that turned out to be jihidist in motivation.

There are two obvious lessons.

One is that America remains under attack and would be very unwise to let down its vigilance.

The second is that law enforcement officials at all levels and private citizens have done an astonishingly good job so far of intercepting and thwarting terror plots on U.S. soIL.