D.C., New York police raise security amid 'credible' terror threat

[News_Editor]

D.C., New York police raise security amid 'credible' terror threat

2011-09-09 12:43:53 GMT+7 (ICT)

WASHINGTON, D.C. (BNO NEWS) -- The U.S. cities of New York and Washington, D.C. have increased their security amid a 'specific and credible' terror threat surrounding the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, officials said on late Thursday evening.

U.S. officials announced earlier on Thursday that they are aware of a "specific, credible but unconfirmed" threat to the U.S. homeland. U.S. media, citing unnamed sources, reported that at least three individuals have entered the United States to carry out a car bomb attack in New York or Washington, D.C.

As a result, security is being increased in both cities while intelligence agencies gather more details about the alleged plot, which ABC News reported was ordered directly by the new al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to avenge Osama bin Laden's death earlier this year.

"Our state law enforcement agencies are in contact with federal and local agencies," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement. "All New Yorkers should be cautious and aware as we prepare to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary. However, there is no reason to panic or allow our spirit of freedom to be dampened."

Ray Kelly, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), said a number of measures had already been taken due to the 10th anniversary of 9/11. "However, in light of this new threat information, we are taking additional precautions," Kelly said at a late night news conference.

Kelly said the NYPD will hold all its personnel for an additional four hours from Friday through at least Monday, increasing by a third the number of officers on duty. "We are also increasing the number of critical response vehicle surges, that's where dozen of police cars respond to predetermined locations for counterterrorism coverage," he said.

The NYPD Commissioner also announced that it would set up a number of vehicle checkpoints at various locations throughout the city. "We are also increasing the number of bag inspections on the subway system and the number of police vehicles on patrol equipped with license plate readers," he added.

Further, the NYPD will send more bomb dogs on patrol and an increased deployment of radiation monitoring equipment, especially at vehicle checkpoints. "There will be an increased focus on tunnels and bridges and infrastructure in general, as well as landmark locations, houses of worship, and government buildings," Kelly added.

In Washington, D.C., the nation's capital, Mayor Vincent Gray said the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will step up security in ways both visible and unseen, but said there are no plans to cancel events. Officials urged residents in both New York and Washington, D.C. to report suspicious activity to 311 or, if urgent, to 911.

The news on Thursday evening represents a sudden change from previous statements just days earlier when U.S. officials insisted there was no credible intelligence that al-Qaeda or its affiliates were plotting a 9/11 anniversary attack, indicating that the new intelligence received came in very recently.

On Sunday, the United States will commemorate the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 ,2001, attacks, when nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes before crashing two of them into the World Trade Center in New York and another into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The fourth, United Flight 93, crashed into a field in Stonycreek Township near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Nearly 3,000 people were killed.

Earlier this week, Pakistan announced it arrested senior al-Qaeda member Younis Al Mauritani. According to Pakistani officials, Al Mauritani was mainly responsible for planning international operations and had been personally tasked by the late al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden to focus on hitting targets of economical importance in the United States, Europe and Australia.

Bin Laden was killed in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad on May 1st by special U.S. forces during a secret operation.

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