CNN - 4 arrested in alleged NYC synagogue bomb plot

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4 arrested in alleged NYC synagogue bomb plot

Four men arrested for an alleged plot to bomb a New York synagogue and Jewish community center are expected to appear in federal court Thursday, the U.S. attorney's office said.

The men also wanted to use surface-to-air missiles to fire at U.S. military planes, said a criminal complaint filed this week in White Plains, New York.

"Four individuals were arrested for planting bombs in front of two [Jewish facilities] in the area," said Raymond Kelly, New York City police commissioner.

The charges are based on information from an FBI informant, with whom the men met as they plotted to carry out their attacks, authorities said.

"While the weapons provided to the defendants by the cooperating witness were fake, the defendants thought they were absolutely real," acting U.S. Attorney Lev L. Dassin said in a statement.

Added Kelly: "The bombs had been made by FBI technicians. They were totally inert; no one was ever at risk or in danger of being injured."

James Cromitie, David Williams, Onta Williams and Laguerre Payen are accused of plotting to detonate the explosives in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.

Each man had at least one alias, according to the attorney's office. Three of them are U.S. citizens and one is a Haitian, the FBI said.

The U.S. attorney's statement said the informant met with Cromitie in June 2008 in Newburgh, New York.

During that meeting, Cromitie allegedly said his parents live in Afghanistan, that he was angry over the U.S. war there, and that he was interested "doing something to America."

The four men began meeting with the informant at a home equipped with concealed video and audio equipment, plotting to bomb the synagogue and Jewish community center, the statement said.

They also conducted surveillance, including photographs, of an Air National Guard base where they wanted to blow up planes, the statement said. The informant provided the men with a surface-to-air guided missile and C-4 plastic explosives -- none of which could actually be used.

The charges include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles. The charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.

"The targeting of any house of prayer in the United States is a threat to all religious groups and all religious leaders have an obligation to speak out publicly against this planned outrage," said a statement from the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group

The group urged all Jewish institutions to tighten security at their facilities.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in a written statement, congratulated the law enforcement agencies that made the arrests.

"While the bombs these terrorists attempted to plant tonight were -- unbeknownst to them -- fake, this latest attempt to attack our freedoms shows that the homeland security threats against New York City are sadly all too real and underscores why we must remain vigilant in our efforts to prevent terrorism," he said.

"This case clearly illustrates that the threat of terrorism in New York is persistent," said Gov. David Paterson. "The threat of terrorism affects all of our communities, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity."