New York on alert for new al Qaeda bombing threat

1.00pm - By CHRISTINE KEARNEY

NEW YORK - New York City moved to increase security on Sunday in hopes of preventing possible al Qaeda truck or suicide bomb attacks on targets like the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

"We are deploying our full array of counter-terrorism resources," Bloomberg said. "We will spare no expense and we will take no chance. We will be watching and protecting the city through never-ending vigilance."

Bloomberg told a news briefing that the followed information from Washington about "recently obtained and credible intelligence that al Qaeda is targeting financial institutions, specifically the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup buildings."

Earlier, Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge raised the security alert level to high for international financial institutions in Washington and the New York Stock Exchange and companies in the New York area.

Bloomberg told residents to go about their business as usual, saying there was no time frame associated with the intelligence.

The move will mean an even higher police presence in a city that has already been at a "high," or code orange, alert since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks when hijacked planes destroyed the twin towers of the World Trade Centre killing almost 2800 people.

Heavily armed policemen have become commonplace in New York and much of lower Manhattan's financial district has been in a virtual security lock-down for months.

The city is preparing for the Republican national convention from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 when President Bush will be officially nominated to run for a second term in office. Thousands of delegates, a large contingent of media and as many as 200,000 protesters are expected in town for the event.

Bloomberg said more police will be on New York streets, sensitive and symbolic buildings will be given increased attention, truck checkpoints at bridges and tunnels will be increased and trucks will not be allowed on the Williamsburg Bridge between Brooklyn and downtown Manhattan.

New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said this was the first such "extraordinary" intelligence report that was related to specific buildings.

- REUTERS