U.S. Intel Warns of Potential Terror Attack in New York Before Election

NEW YORK, NY — CBS News reports that U.S. intelligence is warning al Qaeda could be planning attacks in New York on Monday. The report notes Virginia and Texas are also possible targets. The credibility of the intelligence has not been confirmed, according to CBS.

Mayor Bill de Blasio addressed the information in his regular weekly appearance on WNYC, saying he'd been aware of the threat "for several days." The city had already planned to be on high alert with the marathon on Sunday and Election Day on Tuesday.

"You’re going to see extensive NYPD presence. ... We have a new 500-member-plus counterterrorism force, the Critical Response Command, that is the biggest counter-terror force any city has in this country," de Blasio told Brian Lehrer on Friday morning. "You’ll see them out in force Monday as well as a precaution. I just think New Yorkers should assume – Sunday, Monday, Tuesday is going to be a continuum of a very high level of vigilance, high level of police presence."

The NYPD said it is aware of the report, and are taking it seriously.

"We are aware of the information," NYPD Deputy Commissioner Public Information Stephen P. Davis told Patch in a statement. "We have been working with the FBI through the Joint Terrorism Task Force and our Counterterrorism and Intelligence Bureaus. In every case, we take any intelligence reports regarding New York City seriously. I would point out that the credibility of those reports is still being assessed and the information lacks specificity."

Counterterrorism officials were alerted of potential threats "out of an abundance of caution," CBS reports. Holidays and high-profile events like Tuesday's election provide targets for these types of threats.

CBS notes that local police nationwide were notified earlier this week that “polling places” can be seen as “attractive targets” for “lone wolf”-type attacks.

Davis re-iterated that anyone in New York who sees suspicious behavior, including at polling places, should report it to police.

"Our security remains a shared responsibility," Davis said. "We continue to encourage anyone with any information that could be relevant to the safety of our city to contact law enforcement."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo spoke to the intelligence information on Friday as part of his briefing on security at polling stations, saying New York is "already on a state of high alert for Election Day." Cuomo said his office was coordinating with the NYPD and there would be "more state police, more National Guard, more soldiers on duty than ever before." There are 700 National Guard troops on duty in New York City, Cuomo said.

The contentious campaign for Tuesday's presidential election between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton has included accusations between the candidates of foreign influence, as well as talk of meddling by U.S. intelligence agents.

>>Read more of the CBS report.

Image via Pixabay