al-Qaida Cells In North Jersey?

Well, they were supposedly dancing on the rooftops in Paterson on 9/11, so this shouldn't be a shock to anyone.

One of the major problems we have in this state is the huge influx of illegals, so it sure is inviting for terror activities.

Al-Qaida associates in N.J.

Osama bin Laden may be hiding in the impenetrable mountains near the Afghanistan border, but FBI counterterror officials say they have identified several of his associates in a far more accessible spot -- northern New Jersey.

The FBI's elite Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark says it is not only monitoring a number of North Jersey residents with ties to al-Qaida, but that agents have quietly "disrupted" their activities and even deported a few.

These glimpses into North Jersey's war on terrorism, from a series of interviews with task force leaders, come on the heels of revelations last summer that Bin Laden's terror network had regained strength. But that rebuilding was thought to have taken place overseas.

This is the first time since the 9/11 attacks that FBI counterterror officials have revealed an al-Qaida presence in North Jersey.

"There are definitely facilitators in this state," said Kevin Cruise, the veteran FBI counterterror agent who directs Newark's 100-member terrorism task force of FBI and CIA agents as well as state police and even local beat cops.

"There are people in your county who are affiliated with known al-Qaida members overseas," said Jack Jupin, the FBI agent who heads the counterterror squad for Bergen County.

Read the rest.

UPDATE: More from Allahpundit, who has a good question.

Exit question: What possible purpose does it serve to tell jihadis that they’re being monitored? They’re not going to give up the cause because they’ve been found out. They’ll simply look for alternate means of communication. Either arrest them or keep spying on them; telling them you’re watching seems totally counterproductive.