Terror threat

NJ explosives expert scouted Statue of Liberty, more for attacks, feds say

A Morristown man trained by Hezbollah scouted possible targets for terror attacks around the country - including the Statue of Liberty, Port Authority Bus Terminal and area airports - and sent the reports back to the militant group, authorities said Thursday.

Federal prosecutors in New York unveiled a nine-count indictment against Alexei Saab, 42, who they said was trained in weapons and explosives by the Iranian-backed organization. He was arrested in July and remained jailed, according to officials.

“Even though Saab was a naturalized American citizen, his true allegiance was to Hezbollah, the terrorist organization responsible for decades of terrorist attacks that have killed hundreds, including U.S. citizens and military personnel,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said in a statement.

According to authorities, Saab provided information about locations including the United Nations headquarters, Times Square, the George Washington Bridge, a federal building in New York, Fenway Park in Boston and landmarks in Washington, D.C. In court documents, investigators included photos of the prominent sites allegedly taken by Saab and recovered by FBI agents.