NYPD Investigating 'Al Qaeda' Graphic Posted To Sympathetic Websites
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- "Al Qaeda -- Coming Soon Again In New York."
That is the text written on a graphic that has turned up on some websites sympathetic to the terrorist group. The NYPD is now investigating the origin and significance of the image.
"The clear implication is a threat to New York -- it's kind of done in a movie poster fashion," Deputy Commissioner Paul Browne told 1010 WINS' Sonia Rincon.
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Browne said that he and the department take all threats against New York City "seriously."
"It's nerve wracking, but the city's doing everything they can," Manhattan resident Nicole Pesce said.
The person who posted it is overseas and has put out similar messages in the past, according to the deputy commissioner.
"We haven't found a direct connection with this poster and any known plan to attack the city," Browne said.
The image shows the Empire State Building and other iconic landmarks. It also shows police headquarters, which Browne noted isn't normally part of the skyline.
Security expert Bob Strang said intelligence experts must consider the deteriorating relationship between the United States and the Middle East.
"The photo alone is a warning that we're still on the radar screen," Strang told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez on Monday night. "Take a look specifically at Pakistan and Iran and you can see why this is a concern. Because al Qaeda has had an opportunity to refinance, regroup, reorganize to train without disruption and that's a concern for us."
The NYPD's Intelligence Division's cyber unit is investigating the poster that was posted in the "artwork and design" section of a forum and whether it constitutes a "credible threat."
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