Feds: New Pictures of Prudential Building Taken in January
(Elizabeth-AP, August 6, 2004) — Authorities have evidence that new surveillance photographs were taken of Prudential Financial's headquarters in Newark in January, Department of Homeland Security Deputy Secretary James Loy said Friday.
"Both inside and out," Loy told The Associated Press following a ceremony to confer badges on officers of the department's U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office.
Officials have said that Prudential, like financial institutions in New York and Washington, had been under surveillance as possible terror targets since before the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks.
But in response to repeated questions, Loy said new photographs were taken in January of the building's interior and exterior, and were not simply old photographs that had been altered or otherwise updated.
"New pictures," Loy stressed. It was not immediately clear where the photos were found.
Friday's disclosure by Loy came as President Bush in Washington defended last weekend's decision to issue terrorism warnings and tighten security in New York, Newark and Washington, saying "the threats we're dealing with are real" even though some of the intelligence on which the government acted was as much as four years old.
Loy said he had no information on who took the new pictures. But he said possibilities included current or former employees, clients or delivery people.
"I have no information about the source of the photographs," Loy said. "It could be a customer, it could be an inside job."
Asked how he knew when the photographs were taken, he replied, "Well, when you get your pictures back from Wal-Mart, do you have some idea when you took them?"
Asked whether that meant the photographs had dates stamped on them, Loy grinned and replied, "We have evidence when the pictures were taken."
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