New York airports, synagogues on alert after mail terror plot exposed

Cop at the Park East Synagogue yesterday.




















New York airports and synagogues are on high alert after officials on three continents unearthed a mail-order terror plot yesterday.

Police will be stationed at major synagogues around the city today -- especially flooding the Orthodox and Hasidic temples in Borough Park and Williamsburg, in Brooklyn -- with officers both sitting outside the holy facilities and checking in during services, sources said.

Federal officials yesterday said two potential bombs were unsuccessfully sent from Yemen to Jewish facilities in Chicago, raising concerns about local safety as well.

In Borough Park, six high-profile temples will get extra attention from officers -- including Bobov, Satmar, and Munkatch -- and an officer will be stationed at a booth at Lee Avenue near Keap Street in Williamsburg, police sources said.

The escalation unfolded in dramatic fashion yesterday, as the NYPD's elite Hercules unit was stationed outside the Temple Emanu-El on East 65th Street, while heavily armed officers were patrolling near the Park East Synagogue on East 68th Street.

"Counterterrorism patrols will give special attention to synagogues and Jewish neighborhoods over the next few days," said NYPD spokesman Paul Browne. But he added there was "nothing to suggest there are specific targets."

Meanwhile, federal officials -- especially the Transportation Security Administration and FBI -- will use "heightened cargo screening and additional security at airports" today.

"Passengers should continue to expect an unpredictable mix of security layers that include explosives trace detection," the Department of Homeland Security said.

Longer security lines should be expected at all airports.