BY Bridget Orr | September 14 | 
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Terror threat against Pope disrupted, US congressman says
A US congressman revealed yesterday that a terror threat against Pope Francis was recently disrupted during the run-up to his state visit next week.
In an interview on ABC’s This Week, Texas Republican Representative Mike McCaul of the House Homeland Security Committee also described how the Pope’s tendency to interact with the public in large gatherings would challenge security officials.
“He is a very passionate man. He likes to get out with the people. And with that comes a large security risk,” Rep McCaul said. “I think we’re all very vigilant to protect him as he comes into the United States.”
In the same interview, he also considered the prospect of ‘lone wolf’ attacks such as the ones inspired by ISIS and other terror groups.
The Pope’s visit will begin on September 22 (next Tuesday) with a visit to the White House and a parade.
When he travels to New York on the 25th, he will visit both the United Nations and Ground Zero before holding mass at Madison Square Gardens.
His visit will end in Philadelphia with another mass and a visit to a correctional facility.
In the run-up to the visit, it has been revealed that during his visit to Central Park, the NYPD and Secret Service will take precautions including placing boats along the FDR Highway and working with counter assault teams, hazmat teams, bomb dogs, radiation sensors, snipers and the Swiss Guard.
“He’ll probably have even more people than the president because he’s going on an extended tour,” a New York law enforcement spokesperson told the New York Post.
“We will sweep every tree and bush and frisk every squirrel.”
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