News sources are abuzz today over FBI warnings of a possible al Qaeda attack on the New York subway system during the holiday weekend. ABC is reporting:

In a memo, the FBI said the plot was "aspirational" and based on a report that al Qaeda terrorists "in late September may have discussed targeting transit systems in and around New York City" using suicide bombers or explosives.

With the economy already chewing up expectations retailers can make the rent with a holiday shopping boom, this news is likely to impact the Big Apple's fiscal picture pretty hard. All of them - from Macy's to Target to Joe's Cigars - count on the Christmas (err... holiday) spending spree to tip their balance sheets from red to black.

But nobody wants to be blown up on a subway dock, holding Givenchy bags and nursing a frazzled nervous system. Will the post-Turkey Day crowds stay at home and punch up Amazon, or phone into QVC?

And if the "aspirational" turns out to be another "jack-aspirational" shoeless-joe terror bust - as per the FBI's usual "landmark" anti-terror operations - some very important department-store CEOs will be very, very upset.