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CNN Live Today

New York Braces For Possible Attack On Landmarks

Aired May 22, 2002 - 13:39   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEMMER: Also, police in New York City say they have taken every necessary precaution in the wake of vague new terror threats, threats centering on such icons as the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty. Security precautions at the bridge, in fact, kicked in just as the morning commute was warming up, and Deborah Feyerick at her post at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge, once again with us. Deborah, good afternoon.

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Bill. Well, there is a checkpoint at the entry of the Brooklyn Bridge. Cars being more carefully scrutinized as they make their way over in Manhattan. This is one of he measures, the precaution that police are taking right now.

There are no details on how any possible attack might take place. However, cars on the Brooklyn Bridge moving very easily right now, people crossing the bridge, walking over, stopping at a platform, reading the details of what is one of the oldest bridges in New York City.

The FBI calls the information they have unsubstantiated. They got it someone, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) detainee held in Guantanamo Bay. They are trying to confirm that now with their own sources, and basically they thought the information was credible enough to pass it on to New York's joint terrorism task force, because they did have the name of two possible targets, and police are acting on it.

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COMM. RAYMOND KELLY, NEW YORK POLICE: Certainly after 9/11 anything is possible. But I think we are doing the best that we reasonably can do to prevent another incident and to respond, if God forbid, there is one.

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FEYERICK: The threat is not a done deal. There is no time, there is no date, there are no real details on how any such attack might possibly be carried out, but security in the area is very tight with those checkpoints that have been set up at various bridges.

Also potentially at risk according to the FBI information is the Statue of Liberty. The island is open but the statue itself is closed. It has been closed since September 11. The police did shut down the Brooklyn Bridge early this morning. They got a report of a suspicious package. Four emergency vehicles came, stretched the span of the bridge, checked out the package. Turned out it was nothing more than an empty backpack.

Still, they are taking every precaution, as they say, and the city, just to alert you, is not on crisis mode. Not everybody is gearing up. We haven't gotten to a higher code. The FBI did not issue an official warning, the police did not issue an official warning.

What they are really trying to tell people is that we have this information, it is information we got in one of our daily briefing. We are sharing it with you so that this way everybody can be on the lookout for something suspicious -- Bill.

HEMMER: Kara (ph) -- Deborah, thank you. Deborah Feyerick again, foot of the Brooklyn Bridge.

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