NYPD Mobilizes Against Dirty Bomb Threat, But No Evidence Found So Far
August 11, 2007
NY1.com
New York City police are checking cars and monitoring the air this afternoon in response to an unsubstantiated terror threat involving a "dirty bomb," but so far authorities say they have found no evidence to verify the threat.
Authorities last night established a series of checkpoints in Lower Manhattan and at other Manhattan entry points, where officers were checking cars and trucks and questioning drivers in response to what the NYPD called a "reported radiological threat."
Officials also mobilized a battery of radiological sensors, including vehicular and helicopter-mounted devices, to sniff out a potential radiological explosive.
Authorities stressed that the threat is unconfirmed and that the city's terror alert status remained unchanged.
The New York Times reported early Saturday morning that the heightened security was prompted by a report on an Israeli website of electronic chatter between al Qaeda operatives, but NYPD officials would not confirm that.
The site, debka.com, is reportedly believed by the NYPD to have Israeli intelligence and military sources.
The website alleged that monitors had intercepted Internet chatter suggesting that al Qaeda was planning a radioactive truck attack on American targets that included New York, Los Angeles and Miami.
"The chatter came in a rush Thursday p.m. our time on various al Qaeda coded forums," an editor with the Jerusalem-based website said when contacted Saturday via e-mail. "Friday, it stopped, but was resumed Saturday. These are internal sites used by al Qaeda operatives. They don't usually refer specifically to operations on this scale. Our monitors therefore alerted us."
The website has "a very active monitoring department," according to the editor, that "works around the clock not only keeping track of al Qaeda but other Islamist terrorist groups."
"Most of what they put out is junk," the editor said of the al Qaeda communications. "Now and again there is something important, which we try and catch."
According to the website, an al Qaeda message intercepted on Thursday said that attacks would be carried out "by means of trucks loaded with radio-active material against America’s biggest city and financial nerve center."
The alleged al Qaeda communications accused Americans of failing to take seriously a videotape released last week by American-born al Qaeda member Adam Gadahn, in which Gadahn vowed a new wave of attacks on Americans at home and abroad.
"They will soon realize their mistake when American cities are hit by quality operations," one message allegedly said.
Gadahn, a native Californian, has been wanted by the FBI on treason charges since 2004. He claims he was behind a car bomb strike that killed an American diplomat last year in Pakistan.
Federal authorities said there was no evidence that New York City is in any danger.
"We are closely monitoring the situation," said Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke. "There continues to be no credible information telling us that there's a threat to the homeland at this time."
On Friday night, Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement saying: "Earlier this evening, the NYPD began taking several public precautionary measures visible to New Yorkers to guard against an unverified threat that was found on the Internet."
"As New Yorkers, we have gone about our lives even with the daily threat level at 'orange' every day since September 11, 2001," the mayor's statement said. "That threat level has not changed because of this unverified threat, and we shouldn't let anyone terrorize us by spreading fear."
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