Update: Probably Not a Nuclear Device in Midtown (Yet)

[Matt Molnar]

Channel 11 just reported that the feds have reason to believe there might be a nuclear device or dirty bomb in the area of 34th Street. No further details, not seeing anything online.

[flyboy 28]

Didn't see anything online either... Channel 11 is on commercial break right now..

[Matt Molnar]

http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News ... geId=3.2.1 (http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=4035178&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1)

[Matt Molnar]

Threat doesn't seem to be as immediate as star anchor Kaity Tong indicated, according to the Fox 5 story linked above.

[T-Bird76]

I wonder if this is in repsonse certain sensor readings? That entire area of the city is filled with sensors for bio and radiological threats.

[Tom_Turner]

Its only a day after the anniversary of the bombing of Nagasaki and these dates have long been associated now with a plot for a mass destruction attack on the USA.

There was also the Gadan "statement" posted on the net about a week ago.

:(

We'll see what happens: hopefully nothing.

[Tom_Turner]

Debka.com

DEBKAfile Exclusive: New Al Qaeda threat of radioactive truck attacks naming New York, Los Angeles, Miami

August 10, 2007, 1:11 AM (GMT+02:00)

The threat was picked up by DEBKAfile’s monitors from a rush of electronic chatter on al Qaeda sites Thursday, Aug. 8.

The al Qaeda communications accuse the Americans of the grave error of failing to take seriously the videotape released by the American al Qaeda spokesman Adam Gaddahn last week. “They will soon realize their mistake when American cities are hit by quality operations,” said one message.

Another said the attacks would be carried out “by means of trucks loaded with radio-active material against America’s biggest city and financial nerve center.”

A third message mentioned New York, Los Angeles and Miami as targets. It drew the answer: “The attack, with Allah’s help, will cause an economic meltdown, many dead, and a financial crisis on a scale that compels the United States to pull its military forces out of many parts of the world, including Iraq, for lack of any other way of cutting down costs.”

There is also a message which speaks obliquely of the approaching attacks easing the heavy pressure America exerts on countries like Japan, Cuba and Venezuela.

DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources and monitors say there is no way of gauging for sure how serious these threats are, how real, or whether they are part of a war of nerves to give the Gaddahn tape extra mileage. But it is important to note that the exchange of messages took place over al Qaeda’s internal Internet sites and that they contained the threat of radioactive terror and specific American cities for the first time after a long silence on these subjects.

In addition, a growing number of clips has been disseminated of late over al Qaeda sites instructing the faithful how to design remote-controlled gliders, pack them with explosives and launch them against predetermined targets.

[Matt Molnar]

The end of Channel 11 news had a shot of a checkpoint in Chinatown at the Manhattan Bridge...quite serious, looked like a couple dozen marked and unmarked police and fed vehicles, looks like they were stopping most minivans and trucks.

[Mellyrose]

Drudge Report linked to this story...

http://www.reuters.com/article/domestic ... 22&sp=true (http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1026252120070811?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true)

[Matt Molnar]

NY police receive "unverified radiological threat" (http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1026252120070811?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews&rpc=22&sp=true)
Fri Aug 10, 2007 11:06PM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York city police increased security throughout Manhattan on Friday and at bridges and tunnels in response to what they called an "unverified radiological threat," but said the city's alert status remained unchanged.

The New York Police Department said in a statement it has increased the deployment of radiological sensors on vehicles, boats and helicopters and had set up vehicle checkpoints in lower Manhattan and at bridges and tunnels.

Police confirmed the increased security was in response to receiving information that a dirty bomb may go off around 34th street in Manhattan on Friday evening.

The Empire State Building, New York City's tallest building, Madison Square Garden and Macy's department store are in the 34th Street neighborhood.

A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington said they assessed the radiological threat to New York as "unsubstantiated" and there was "no credible information telling us there is an imminent threat to the homeland at this time."

New York has remained on an orange alert -- the second highest such level, below red -- since the September 11, 2001, attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center.

[USAF Pilot 07]

Well I was around that area all of tonight, so let's hope nothing went off there.... I think if something did, we'd know it the second it happened. No way you're going to keep a nuclear attack, or radiation exposure under wraps...

[Matt Molnar]

Walked by a checkpoint at Broadway and Canal this morning. Most notable feature: an ESU cop with a MASSIVE Geiger counter (I've seen Geiger counters before, this one was huge) strapped to his neck pointing it at every passing vehicle. :shock:

They were also stopping every truck going down Broadway south of Canal.