New York on alert for potential subway attack

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has warned that New York City's subway system faces terrorist attack according to intelligence information received by the FBI. There has been a specific threat made against the subway system, Mayor Bloomberg told US news channels.

The warning was supported by New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly who told CNN that there ‘were indications that a terrorist attack on New York's subway system is possible "in the coming days,"’.

Mark Mershon, assistant director of the FBI's New York field office, also supported the warning, while at the same time attempted to allay public fears. He told CNN that: "The detail of this specific threat is, in fact, classified. We put down threats, multiple threats, every day. But the detail of this specific threat was so on point that we did raise this concern with the New York City Police Department … The encouraging news is that classified operations have, in fact, partially disrupted this threat.”

However the Department of Homeland Security has downplayed the risk. Spokesman Russ Knocke said that the threat was specific but of ‘doubtful credibility’.

•Date: 7th October 2005 • Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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