Blowing Up Chicago's Sears Tower

**Pedro56** · 06-27-06, 08:57 PM

Sears Tower may not have been terror plot's only Chicago target By Chuck Goudie
June 27, 2006 - Seven people were arrested last week for allegedly plotting to blow up the Sears Tower in Chicago. ABC7's Investigative Team learned there was another Chicago target.

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The Chicago native accused of plotting to wage Jihad on his home town wasn't going to stop at the Sears Tower, according to newly released federal documents obtained by the I-Team.

Authorities now say that Narseal "Brother Naz" Batiste was interested in taking down the tower and taking out federal agents who would investigate such an attack.

What Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez failed to mention last week was that government buildings outside south Florida were also in the group's gunsights.

Until federal court records obtained Tuesday revealed it, the Sears Tower appeared to be the only Chicago target of the accused terrorists.

But the nation's tallest building wasn't alone. The FBI in Chicago was also on the terrorists' hit list.

The second Chicago target is identified in this motion to deny bond for the accused terrorists. Federal prosecutors say they men planned to use explosives to destroy the offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago and three other cities.

Had the bombing plot actually been carried out in Chicago, the alleged terrorists might well have attacked the wrong building. For years the FBI's Chicago headquarters was located in the Dirksen Federal Building. It was in this South Dearborn Street highrise at the time the bomb plot was allegedly being engineered last winter.

The current FBI center in Chicago is on the west side as a standalone building that just began full operations three weeks ago with very little fanfare.

Authorities believe the Miami terror suspects-had their plan been executed-would have tried to attack the offices that are now empty in the Dirksen Building but will one day house federal prosecutors and US District court rooms.

Federal investigators said Tuesday night that Chicago terror suspect Narseal Batiste tried to recruit someone to travel to the Middle East on an Al Qaeda fundraising mission.

The newly released court documents reveal that Batiste wanted the emmissary to lobby Islamic extremists for money to fund the Sears Tower attack, the assault on the Chicago FBI and the other bombings.

According to prosecutors, that person did not go to the Middle East for Batiste but did go to the FBI about him.