Hearings scheduled to look into bin Laden rail threats

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) said Wednesday that he would hold a hearing next week on rail safety to examine reports that terrorist Osama bin Laden was planning to target American railways at the time of death.

Lautenberg promised to examine the issue after evidence of the plots was gathered in bin Laden's Pakistani compound during the May raid by U.S. troops that resulted in his death. The intelligence collected in the raid revealed the al Qaeda leader envisioned commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks by blowing up trains.

Lautenberg, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, said Wednesday that even though bin Laden has been done now for about month, it was important to protect against his final plots.

“Millions of Americans ride our railroads each day, and an attack on one of these systems would be catastrophic," Lautenberg said in a statement.

"We have seen the devastating consequences of attacks in Moscow, Madrid, London and Mumbai, and now we have a handwritten note from Osama bin Laden's compound targeting rail systems in the United States," he continued.  "We must protect our railways from the very real threats of attack."

The hearing, titled "Emerging Threats to Rail Security, will be June 14.