5 Empty Suitcases Found In NYC In 5 Different Locations/Also Missing Fuel Tanker Truck

FOX NEWS | 5-2-04 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

I have waited and looked around and did not see this posted. NYPD and the FBI have found 5 empty identical suitcases in 5 different locations around NYC. Subway station, Penn Station, 2 government buildings and a sidewalk.

Also missing is a huge fuel tanker truck out of New Jersey that has vanished and was full.

This story was mentioned in the last hour...anyone catch it? The Fed's are thinking this might be a test run for terrorists to see what the response time would be to suitcases being left and found in a location ala Spain attacks. They also fear the gas tanker might be used to ram a building with explosives and level it.

[jimbo123]

As someone who is a NYC subway commuter and one who uses Penn Station about once a week, I'm going to plan for the worst and hope for the best.

[Conservative til I die]

I gotta think any nuclear plant, like Indian Point, would not be so vulnerable that a truck driving into the front door would cause any real damage.

[Conservative til I die]

Would that include Sikhs?

[Conservative til I die]

Heh, good point!

[Afghan Whig]

Terrorism should always be taken seriously, but it could be a group of kids playing a big prank...nevertheless, let's hope our intelligence has a more tenacious grasp of what's going on than the media does in this case.

[HairOfTheDog]

Awareness is good. We should all spend some time thinking through how to defend ourselves against any number of possible threats. We might prevent some that way. But they have smart people thinking things through too. Threat will never be eliminated, only changed.

[Defender2]

Sounds like lautenburgs terrorist friends are at it.

We have to get them first.

[HairOfTheDog]

Port Authority of NY/NJ recently spent alot of money to purchase a 27 foot boat to use for policing and surveillance, it was recently found to have been outfitted with fishing gear for by the the PA workers. This kind of sentiment is what we face across the board.

Like what? know any more than that?

[sirchtruth]

NYPD and the FBI have found 5 empty identical suitcases in 5 different locations around NYC.

The Fed's are thinking this might be a test run for terrorists to see what the response time would be to suitcases being left and found in a location ala Spain attacks.

Ok, what OTHER possibilities are there for 5 IDENTICAL suitcases to be found like this? A prankster perhaps?

Where's the security that would allow this to happen in the first place!?

[oceanview]

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/nation/8542324.htm

[hellinahandcart]

Like what? know any more than that?

You need more than the fact that an official vehicle was outfitted at taxpayer expense as a party fishing boat?

It shows how seriously the PA takes this matter, even after losing people on 9/11.

[jimbo123]

This was most probably a dry run for a Madrid style attack in NYC and the leak of the story was probably intended to discourage the attacks and send a message to the ragheads that we're on to them. We did that with all the flight cancellations last Christmas, New Years and around the superbowl.

[jimbo123]

Suitcases were not identical.

[HairOfTheDog]

You need more than the fact that an official vehicle was outfitted at taxpayer expense as a party fishing boat? It shows how seriously the PA takes this matter, even after losing people on 9/11.

No, I am a boater, and know about stuff that goes on boats, and stuff used for fishing. I want to know what exactly was classified as 'fishing equipment', it's cost, and whether this is a flagrant misuse or just petty police bashing. I want to know what the facts are before making a judgment. I'm funny that way.

[oceanview]

its more then that, its what I see first hand. the checkpoints at bridges and tunnels that used to consistently pull over trucks for searches are now no more then officers sitting in their cars with the lightbar on. I went to the auto show at the Javits Center, in prior years they were searching backpacks (or dissallowing them totally), now they just wave people on by.

The further away from 9/11 we get - the more apathy creeps into law enforcement and security personnel.

[oceanview]

see post 150, the supervisor resigned to avoid further investigation. but you can get the idea from reading that article. In NYC, the municipal unions are god-like, the media will cover up anything for them, there is little to no accountability. just read the story in the link, it speaks for itself. Was this boat ever used for its intended purpose? I doubt it.

[meatloaf]

When you consider the millions of trailers in this country I'm not surprised. Sometimes truckers quit, park the truck, and head home. You'd be surprised to learn how often it happens that a trucking company loses control of equipment.

The odd thing about this is why steal a tanker? If you're a terrorist planning on hauling a trailer into a major city why would you use a piece of equipment that would attract attention. For that reason you would use a dry van trailer.

Besides that where would terrorists be able to fill a tanker? Any plant or terminal with filling facilities aren't going to let anyone just pull up and fill up.

[HairOfTheDog]

its more then that, its what I see first hand. the checkpoints at bridges and tunnels that used to consistently pull over trucks for searches are now no more then officers sitting in their cars with the lightbar on. I went to the auto show at the Javits Center, in prior years they were searching backpacks (or dissallowing them totally), now they just wave people on by. The further away from 9/11 we get - the more apathy creeps into law enforcement and security personnel.

And if your business was trucking, how long would your business tolerate being searched every day while going about your business? How long are we going to want to subject to searches through our purses and backpacks going into public events, especially just for some 'idea' that someone somewhere else decided was a worthwhile interruption in our lives?

The balance point for the 'right amount of security' is an ever changing one. I wouldn't want to live in an ongoing police state for any amount of security.

[sirchtruth]

Suitcases were not identical.

Thanks for the clarification. Am I to understand that all the suitcases were empty?

If everybodies looking for suitcases what would that take there attention away from?

[jimbo123]

I've seen less security in most places these days, but I've noticed much more security on the subways during rush hour lately. Now I know why.