Morning Note: Transportation Industry Vulnerable from Terrorist Retaliation?

* This post was updated at 1:20p on Monday May 2nd

Will the threat of retaliation for Osama Bin Laden’s death hurt the transportation industry?

That was a question for investors on Monday morning following news that U.S. forces killed Osama Bin Laden at a compound in Pakistan and buried his body at sea.The Dow Jones Transportation Index was near flat after spiking to a new record high this morning.

Though the death of the mastermind of the September 11th attacks is widely considered a victory for both U.S. intelligence forces and Commander-In-Chief President Obama, many security analysts say it makes lone wolf attacks from Al Qaeda more likely. Terrorist retaliation on America’s mass transit system is particularly likely, say experts.

“There is a high probability that we will see some knee jerk reaction by lone wolf jihadists,” said Fred Burton, Stratfor Vice President of Intelligence and the man responsible for the capture of Ramzi Yousef, the mastermind of the first World Trade Center Bombing. Burton was a guest on this afternoon’s Fast Money Halftime Report.

The probability of an attack on the airlines was less likely than a bombing on a subway or rail system, said Burton.

Burton also said that disruption to the oil supply was unlikely given Al Qaeda’s inability to launch coordinated strategic strikes since the U.S. launched its war on terror.


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