NYC to Expand Emergency Notification System

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After what New York City authorities are calling a successful terror drill over the weekend at the World Trade Center site, the city is moving to expand a “Notify NYC” system that alerts residents and businesses by e-mail, text message and telephone to emergencies either city wide or in a targeted area or borough.

New York City is moving to expand a “Notify NYC” system that alerts residents and businesses by e-mail, text message and telephone to emergencies, including terror attacks, either city wide or in a targeted area or borough.

Often called “reverse 911″ the system has been used or tested successfully in a number of other cities across the country as a way to move residents to safety in the face of natural calamities — hurricanes, flooding or dam collapse and is also intended to work in terror or other “man made” emergencies, officials say.

In New York it has been successfully used, city officials say, in a pilot program across four neighborhoods. It was launched following the former Deustche Bank fire right off the site of Ground Zero. In that case residents did not know what was the source of smoke, or whether they needed to take shelter or evacuate.

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Another Planned NYC Military Fly Over Cancelled

A retiring navy pilot planned to fly over New York City this morning to celebrate the end of his career before the flight was cancelled at the last minute by the Federal Aviation Administration in consultation with city officials as the plane was set to roar down the Hudson, over the harbor and up to Maine.

Before saner heads prevailed, a P-3, a turbo prop aircraft that often sees service as a marine patrol plane for the Navy, was set to fly at 3000 feet.

According to officials, shortly before the flyover was slated to begin at 10:30a.m., the FAA notified the city of the slated flight and of the agency’s intent to cancel it.

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White House Declines to Release Photos of New York Flyover

The White House is refusing to release the controversial photos of Air Force One flying over the Manhattan skyline last week that triggered panic among New Yorkers and an internal review in the Obama administration.

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that there was no need to release them.

“I’ve watched CNN,” he said, noting the considerable coverage from amateur footage. “I didn’t notice a lack of archival material from that flight.”

He added that he didn’t know where to locate the photos taken from inside the plane.

Last week, the Obama administration sent an Air Force One backup plane to fly over lower Manhattan to capture the presidential plane with the Statue of Liberty in the background. The public was not notified in advance that there was no cause for alarm.

Some New Yorkers were reminded of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, sparking chaos as employees evacuated office buildings and emergency call centers were inundated.

President Obama immediately denounced the photo-op, which cost $328,835, calling it “a mistake.”

White House Military Office Director Louis Caldera accepted responsibility and apologized for allowing the exercise.

Gibbs said he anticipates the internal review will be completed this week.

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Feds Knew NYC Flyover Would Cause Panic

Federal officials knew that sending two fighter jets and Air Force One to buzz ground zero and Lady Liberty might set off nightmarish fears of a 9/11 replay, but they still ordered the photo-op kept secret from the public.

In a memo obtained by CBS 2 HD the Federal Aviation Administration’s James Johnston said the agency was aware of “the possibility of public concern regarding DOD (Department of Defense) aircraft flying at low altitudes” in an around New York City. But they demanded total secrecy from the NYPD, the Secret Service, the FBI and even the mayor’s office and threatened federal sanctions if the secret got out.

“To say that it should not be made public knowing that it might scare people it’s just confounding,” Sen. Charles Schumer said. “It’s what gives Washington and government a bad name. It’s sheer stupidity.”

The flyover — apparently ordered by the White House Office of Military Affairs so it would have souvenir photos of Air Force One with the Statue of Liberty in the background — had President Obama seeing red. He ordered a probe and apologized.

“It was a mistake. It will never happen again,” President Obama said.

The NYPD was so upset about the demand for secrecy that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly vowed never to follow such a directive again and he accused the feds of inciting fears of a 9/11 replay.

Read Full Article wcbstv.com.

Air Force One Photo Op Creates Terror Scare In NYC

A jumbo jet being chased by a F-16 fighter jets buzzed Lower Manhattan this morning, panicking New Yorkers, many of whom were forced to evacuate their office buildings.

It was not a terrorist attack, however, but a photo opportunity for Air Force One, sources told the Post.

President Obama was in Washington at the time, but the low-flying 747 circling the Statue of Liberty was one of the planes used as Air Force One, sources said.

The NYPD and the city were notified of the planned flight, but did not share that information with Mayor Bloomberg and other New Yorkers, many of whom said they were terrified.

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Homeland Security Secretary Clarifies Canadian Border Remarks

The US Homeland Security Secretary suggests there are “instances” when suspected terrorists have attempted to enter the United States from Canada.

In a statement, Janet Napolitano said “some of these are well-known to the public such as the Millennium Bomber, while others are not due to security reasons.”

Napolitano issued the statement to reassure Canadians she knows that no 9-11 terrorists entered the US through Canada.

Napolitano said earlier this week on the CBC that terrorists routinely enter the US through Canada, including the perpetrators of the September 11th attacks.

America’s 9-11 commission concluded in the 2004 that none of those terrorists made it into the US through Canada.

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Khalid Sheik Mohammed Waterboarded 183 Times

CIA interrogators used the controverisal waterboarding technique 183 times on Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the mastermind behind the September 11 attacks and 83 times on another al Qaeda suspect, according to the New York Times.

A 2005 Justice Department memorandum revealed that the simulated drowning technique was used on Mohammed 183 times in March 2003.

Abu Zubaydah, the first prisoner questioned in the CIA’s overseas detention program in August 2002, was waterboarded 83 times, although a former CIA officer had told news organisations he had been subjected to only 35 seconds underwater before agreeing to tell everything he knew.

President Barack Obama has banned the use of waterboarding, over-turning a Bush administration policy that it did not constitute torture.

via September 11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed ‘waterboarded 183 times’ – Times Online.

U.S. Needs Patriot Act to Avert Attack, Kerik Says

Highly decorated former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik tells Newsmax that failure to renew the Patriot Act would place Americans in “serious jeopardy” and could lead to a “catastrophic attack” in the U.S.

Kerik, who was President George W. Bush’s nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security before he withdrew his name from consideration, also said the detainees at Guantanamo Bay who could be released into the U.S. remain determined to “create the demise” of America. Read more

Debka Report – G20 Conference Briefed On Possible al Qaeda Terror Attack Plan

An Israeli intelligence site claimed Sunday that “US president-elect Barack Obama, European and Russian heads of states in Washington G20 conference were briefed over the weekend about a probable early al Qaeda attack.”

Isreali intelligence news site, “Debka”, also claimed that “Obama and his team have been advised that a new al Qaeda strike is highly probable in the United States or against a key US target in Europe, North Africa or the Middle East.” Read more

Terror Attack Directives Appear On Internet – May Signal Pending Strike

Commandments before the strike. In depth report from Homeland Security US on an Internet post containing detailed instructions that may signal a pending terror attack. This report has not been confirmed by U.S. Intelligence or Law Enforcement.

From Homeland Security US

A posting uncovered in an Arabic language Internet forum is currently raising a few eyebrows in the intelligence community. The single posting, which is presently being scrutinized by intelligence officials, appears to provide detailed instructions for Muslims living within the United States, giving them specific actions to take before, during and after an upcoming attack in the U.S. The communication was discovered by “Archangel,” a well-known independent intelligence analyst active within the intelligence community.

The post was initially published on August 2, 2008 under the title “Commandments [Directives] Before the Strike,” and appears to be a sort of a conflict management guide, or instructions on what Muslims should do prior to the attack, actions that should be undertaken concurrent with the attack, and well as additional instructions following the attack.

The text addressing the nature, location and timing of the planned attack, although specific to the U.S., appears otherwise ambiguous. For instance, the timing appears to focus on the Tuesday following the end of Ramadan, which would be October 7, 2008. The nature of the attack is less clear. Although the author appears to talk about a strike greater in magnitude than the 9/11 attacks and makes reference to the possibility of it being nuclear in nature, the text references to the nuclear aspect of the attack appear somewhat muddled.

In terms of the location of the attack, it is clear that the author identifies both New York, as the financial capital of the U.S., and Washington, DC, as the nation’s capital, as being both desirable and affected. It is interesting that under analysis, the details of “the attack” referenced by the author are nestled within the text of instructions, rather than being prominently placed to serve as an overt warning as seen in the past. The relative subtlety in which the targets and type of attack was referenced is most interesting from a historical and analytical perspective.

SPECIAL REPORT: “Commandments Before The Strike”

- ALERT: Instructions for actions Muslims are to take before, during & after an attack in the U.S. posted;

- Message suggests activation of worldwide jihad following U.S. attack;

- Message indicates large-scale attack within the U.S., perhaps early October;

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911 Video – Remembering What We Saw

This home video of the 9/11 terror attack on the World Trade Center was filmed from a 36th floor apartment very close to the North Tower. It’s a view of 911 that you may not have seen and one that you should.
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Terror Expert: WMD Attack on U.S. Inevitable Next Four To Five Years

A major terrorist attack on the United States, probably featuring a weapon of mass destruction, is inevitable during the next four to five years, says Marvin J. Cetron, the futurist who predicted 9/11 with alarming insight.

During an exclusive interview Cetron said the attack could come in as little as two and a half to three years.

Cetron, who startled and embarrassed the intelligence community with his study Terror 2000,has let the genie out of the bottle again with his latest report, 55 Trends Now Shaping the Future of Terrorism. Read more

NYC Hearing On Nuclear Terror Threat

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, testifying a few blocks from where terrorists struck on Sept. 11, 2001, warned Wednesday that the city needs help as the “last line of defense” against a potentially far more devastating attack.

Kelly, Los Angeles police Chief William Bratton and FBI Deputy Director John Pistole were among several witnesses called by a congressional committee studying the threat posed by nuclear, chemical and biological attacks. Read more

New York City 911 and 311 Hot Lines Accept Videos, Cell Phone Images

It’s a new era for tipsters as officials announced Tuesday that city hot lines are now able to receive photos and video from computers and cell phones.

Callers to the city’s 911 and non-emergency 311 lines will now be able to send in photos and video to report crimes and complain about quality-of-life problems like uncollected garbage.

While hundreds of cities accept text messages to emergency hot lines, New York is believed to be the first with the capability to accept images, officials said.

By next year, photos sent by bystanders will be made available to patrol cars, and pictures could even be used as evidence in prosecutions, officials said.

“This technology should put a scare into every would-be criminal, because the chances of getting caught in the act is now better than ever,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

He stressed, however, that the most important thing to do first when something bad happens is still to call 911.

Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said major improvements to technology within the department in the past six years have helped reduced crime, which is down more than 3 percent so far this year from last year.

More than 12,000 new computers have been installed in precincts around the city, technology in radio cars has been improved and the department is better able to share information.

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