NEW YORK (Reuters) - Two homemade grenades exploded outside the building housing the British Consulate's office before dawn on the day Britain was holding elections, but police said later on Thursday it may be linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Windows were shattered, but no injuries were reported and no motive was known for the incident, which security experts said highlighted the city's continued vulnerability despite its high-alert status and measures undertaken since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. The explosions at the midtown Manhattan office block near the United Nations occurred shortly after 3:30 a.m./0730 GMT when two metal dummy grenades packed with gunpowder exploded in a concrete flower box, police said. "We do not at this point have any idea who did it or a motive," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a news conference near the building, which also houses other offices of foreign companies. "It is true the British Consulate is in that building, but I don't think anybody should jump to conclusions," Bloomberg said, adding no one had claimed responsibility. Later, police chief Raymond Kelly told reporters he was also looking at another possible target -- a board member of Caterpillar Inc. who works in the building. The company sells bulldozers used by Israel to raze Palestinian homes. Kelly noted there had been an April 13 protest outside the building by a group called Jews Against the Occupation. On its web site, the group describes itself as a group of "American Jews (who) reject the Israeli government assertion that it is 'necessary' to subjugate Palestinians for the sake of keeping Jews safe." A spokesman for Caterpillar could not immediately be reached. Police were examining videotape from security cameras that appeared to show a cyclist lighting and then throwing the grenades toward the building before fleeing the scene, law enforcement sources said. The incident, which briefly upset British financial markets, occurred as British voters were deciding whether to return Prime Minister Tony Blair for a third term in office. In the short general election campaign Blair battled public anger against his support of the war in Iraq. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> DonorsChoose. A simple way to provide underprivileged children resources often lacking in public schools. Fund a student project in NYC/NC today! http://us.click.yahoo.com/EHLuJD/.WnJAA/cUmLAA/TySplB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: [email protected] Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
