Homeland Security downplays N.Y. threat City officials step up security on subways in response to 'specific threat'
NBC, MSNBC and news services Updated: 7:49 p.m. ET Oct. 6, 2005 NEW YORK - Authorities stepped up security Thursday after receiving what city officials called a credible threat that the New York subway could be the target of a terrorist attack in coming days. But Homeland Security officials in Washington downplayed the threat, saying it was of "doubtful credibility." Despite the differing takes on the seriousness of the threat, New York officials mobilized police officers to begin looking through commuters' bags, briefcases, baby strollers and luggage. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the threat originated overseas and was the most specific terrorist threat New York officials had received to date. No one in New York has been arrested or detained, he said. A law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the threat was "specific to place, time and method" and involved a bombing. "We have never had before a specific threat to our subway system," Bloomberg said at a news conference, adding that he planned to take the subway home Thursday night. "Its importance was enhanced above the normal level by the detail that was available to us from intelligence sources." 'Specific but doubtful' In Washington, Homeland Security Department spokesman Russ Knocke said the agency received a "specific but doubtful threat" to the subway system. "The intelligence community has concluded this information to be of doubtful credibility," he said. "We shared this information early on with state and local authorities in New York." Knocke refused to elaborate on why the intelligence was considered doubtful, nor would he comment on whether it was linked to an arrest Wednesday in Iraq reported by CNN. Knocke said he assumed New York's public warning was made "out of an abundance of caution." A U.S. official told NBC News that the intelligence source also provided the U.S. military and FBI with tips that led to a military raid in Baghdad overnight that nabbed at least one terror suspect. But federal law enforcement officials have not been able to corroborate any of the facts of the plot and do not believe anyone had the ability to carry it out, two government officials in Washington added. Both spoke only on condition of anonymity because the investigation is continuing. Some commuters took the threat in stride. Paul Radtke, 45, of Hoboken, N.J., said he has heard similar warnings before and found it hard to take them all seriously. "Unless it's something dramatic that's happening, I've got to go to work," Radtke said after getting off a subway train at Penn Station. He said the only travel habit he is changing is trying not to make eye contact with police officers so they won't search his bag. City began random searches after London attack An estimated 4.5 million passengers ride the New York subway on an average weekday. The system has more than 468 subway stations. In July, the city began random subway searches following the London train bombings. New York City has been on high alert - or code orange - on the nation's terror threat advisory system since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. There are no plans to raise its alert level in wake of the threat, Knocke said, nor are authorities considering changing the nationwide elevated threat level, or code yellow. Bloomberg said there was no indication the threat was linked to this month's Jewish holidays. The Associated Press contributed to this report. C 2005 MSNBC.com URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9614242/ [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Fair play? Video games influencing politics. 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