Results tagged “counterterrorism”

Apparently one of the frontlines against terrorism is the doorman at the super-swank 15 Central Park West condo! NY Times columnist Clyde Haberman discovered that West 61st between CPW and Broadway was closed off for the Thanksgiving Parade watching pleasure of 15 CPW residents only and asked a police sergeant what was up with that: "'It’s counterterrorism, sir,' the sergeant said. 'The doorman is a counterterror agent?' I asked. 'Yes sir,' he said." The NYPD says the street was "designated a viewing space for persons with disabilities," but apparently the qualifying disability was living in a posh address.

With recent unraveling of a suspected terrorist plot in NYC, Mayor Bloomberg and other officials took to the opportunity to demand more federal money to deter nuclear attacks. Bloomberg said, "These events are a disturbing reminder that we can't - and I can tell you we won't - be complacent when it comes to protecting our city against terrorism," adding, "Despite the incredible job the NYPD is doing, our city does remain a prime target for terrorists."

While a Queens imam, a former Queen resident and his father have been been arrested because of fears over a terrorist plot in NYC, now it's suggested that many more people were involved. WCBS 2 reports that the FBI and NYPD "are still tracking a core group of nine to 12 people with knowledge of the alleged terror plot"—and who planned "to use homemade explosives to bomb one or more terror targets in New York City."

Now that Denver-area resident Najibullah Zazi may be admitting ties to Al Qaeda (apparently he met with some Al Qaeda operatives while in Pakistan) just a week after visiting Queens—prompting the FBI and NYPD to raid homes—the Daily News says apparently seven men attempted to "rent the biggest truck at a Queens U-Haul on Sept. 9."

After raiding three homes in Flushing, Queens early Monday morning, the FBI is apparently set for more! The Daily News provides the tip-off: "Fearful of a Madrid-style subway train bombing, authorities are poised to make more raids to seize bomb-making materials at locations in Queens, sources said Wednesday... Another source said an earlier raid uncovered nine backpacks and cell phones, raising memories of the March 2004 bombings in Madrid."

Yesterday morning, a number of homes in Flushing, Queens were raided as part of an ongoing terror investigation. Senator Chuck Schumer said, "There was nothing imminent," and described the raids as "preventive," but now the Daily News says the FBI was worried the suspects may be involved in a Denver-based terror cell. A source said, "The FBI is seriously spooked about these guys planning another 9/11. This is not some ... FBI informant-driven case. This is the real thing."

Yesterday a group of law enforcement agencies launched the largest counter-terrorism demonstration in history at the New York Harbor. The operation was led by the NYPD who unveiled two new state of the art radiation-tracking boats worth $750k each. Police say the crew of one of the new boats was able to pinpoint a bottle containing harmless germanium a half-mile away on a fishing boat. It launched 17 vessels to put a "choke-point" on traffic coming into New York Harbor under the Verrazano Bridge. When the NYPD "Tracs" boat pulled up the to "The Last Dollar," a recreation speed boat, cops knew from their top secret devices that they would find a radiation device on board.