New Years False Flag?
Security and terrorism: Jittery backdrops to New Year's Eve around the world
Lots of videos within!
Remember this? Kali the Goddess of death and Destruction being put up in New York? A sign of things to come?...
Disrupted terrorist plots. Increased police presence. Warnings to stay alert.
Fears of terrorism and stepped-up security provide a sobering backdrop to planned New Year's Eve celebrations around the world.
In
the United States, federal and local security officials are tightening
security in high-profile locations, including New York's Times Square
and the Rose Bowl festivities near Los Angeles. In Belgium and Turkey,
police said they disrupted terrorist plots that would have targeted
celebrations to ring in the New Year in the capitals of those countries.
Here's a look at the latest news on that front around the world:
UNITED STATES
Before
President Barack Obama left for his Hawaii vacation, his top security
officials briefed him about a threat, originating from overseas, of
possible attacks in New York, Los Angeles and Washington between the
Christmas and New Year's holidays, according to senior U.S. officials briefed on the matter.
The
officials said the threat was uncorroborated and was based on a single
source, and it didn't mention specific locations in the cities. But they
said they are always concerned about "soft targets" such as large
gatherings and mass transit systems.
In the wake of attacks in Paris, San Bernardino, California,
and elsewhere, the FBI is boosting the number of agents and staff in
some of its 24-hour command centers around the country, including in New
York, Washington and Los Angeles.
About
6,000 police officers will fan out around Times Square for the annual
New Year's Eve celebration there, Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
"We are not aware of any threat at this time that we deem credible," he said.
Among
the tools the police will use to guard against would-be criminals or
terrorists: cops on helicopters and boats along with hundreds of
additional mobile cameras and radiation detectors. It's a grim reminder
of the threats posed by terrorist organizations from around the world.
In addition, hundreds of officers will carry rifles, said James O'Neill,
a top police official in New York.
"We
are ready," New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said this week. He called New
York "the best prepared city in the country to prevent terrorism and to
deal with any event should it occur."
New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, left, and Mayor Bill de Blasio say the city is ready. They're shown in a photo from a few weeks ago.
There will be more cameras watching the route of the Rose Bowl Parade, Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez told reporters.
"It's
not the first year we've had cameras, but there will be more of them
installed by (the Department of Homeland Security)," Sanchez said.
The
additional cameras are part of more resources and money being used for
the event and the Rose Bowl game, which are considered elevated security
events for the first time.
The chief
of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said more officers will be at
the parade and later at a celebration at Grand Park.
"This is probably largest deployment they've ever had," he said.
BELGIUM
There will be no New Year's festivities in Brussels, not even fireworks, the capital city's mayor told CNN affiliate RTL.
Mayor Yvan Mayeur cited the nation's heightened terror alert.
Belgian authorities have arrested two people
on suspicion of being involved in a plot to attack "emblematic sites"
in Belgium's capital during New Year's celebrations, the country's
federal prosecutor's office said Tuesday.
The
men are members of a Muslim biker gang called the Kamikaze Riders and
are suspected to have discussed attacking Brussels' Grand Place square
and other places where crowds gather, as well as police and military
facilities, a senior Belgian counterterrorism official told CNN on
condition of anonymity.
Belgian soldiers patrol Tuesday at the Grand Place in Brussels, mentioned as a possible terror target.
The plot appears to have been inspired, but not directed, by ISIS, the counterterrorism official said.
TURKEY
Turkish police say they've arrested two people with alleged ISIS ties on suspicion of planning a bombing attack in Turkey's capital on New Year's Eve.
The
two were arrested Wednesday as they allegedly scouted potential attack
locations in the capital, Ankara, the Ankara governorship said.
The pair had a vest with
explosives and a backpack "ready for use" -- with iron marbles and
sticks and other materials for use in bomb-making -- the governorship
said.
Investigators believe the pair
intended to target two locations near Ankara's Kizilay district, the
country's semiofficial Anadolu news agency reported, citing the Ankara
chief prosecutor's office.
On October 10, two bombings outside Ankara's main train station
killed more than 100 people. No group claimed responsibility for that
attack, though Turkish officials have blamed ISIS, which captured vast
swaths of neighboring Syria and Iraq.
AUSTRIA
There
is heightened security in Vienna after police there said several
European cities were warned of possible terror attacks. The warning did
include the names of several possible attackers Vienna police
investigated without finding "concrete further results," authorities in
the Austrian capital said Saturday.
Police
will initiate more thorough security checks, ensure quick readiness in
case of an emergency and increase vigilance in terms of empty suitcases
and bags for New Year's, Vienna police said.
One
of the big events on New Year's Eve is the Hofburg Silver Ball. There
are also big outdoor events on Graben Street and in front of city hall.
BANGLADESH
The U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh warned U.S. citizens this week
that attacks against hotels and clubs are possible in the capital,
Dhaka, in the next few days, perhaps in connection with New Year's Eve
celebrations.
The U.S. Embassy in Bangladesh warned of possible attacks in the capital, Dhaka.
The embassy did not say what led to the warning.
The
warning came a month after the U.S. State Department issued a travel
alert for Americans traveling to the South Asian country, citing what it
described as a potential for extremist violence in light of recent
attacks claimed by ISIS.
Those attacks included a September 28 killing of an Italian national, an October 3 killing of a Japanese national and October 24 bombings against Shia Muslims in a religious procession, according to the State Department.
In
its warning Tuesday, the embassy said Dhaka police have increased
security measures for New Year's Eve, including a ban on outdoor parties
after 8 p.m.
CHINA
The
Shanghai government said there will be no organized New Year
celebrations on the Bund, a popular riverfront area, China's
state-broadcaster CCTV reported.
Shanghai
spokesman Xu Wei warned people who go to the Bund of their own on New
Year's Eve will have to comply with public order rules.
The announcement follows last year's NYE stampede in Shanghai that killed 36 people and injured 49 more.
Major Terrorist Event Tonight?
New Year’s Eve in Times Square in New York always has a big crowd,
and ever since 9/11 locations like that have been an obvious target for
terrorism. Fortunately there is a heightened sense of awareness for
such things, with many extra people devoted to counterterrorism
tonight. But we should always be thinking of ways to keep ourselves out
of potentially dangerous situations, because we cannot rely on anyone
to save us if we happen to be in a targeted location.
Unfortunately,
in recent weeks there are reports of three specific items being stolen
in large quantities all over the country. Hundreds of propane tanks,
most of them far larger than the small ones that work so well under our
BBQ grills, have been stolen in ominous heists from Missouri, near
Philadelphia, and some less publicized locations. Obviously, propane
can explode.
Hundreds of
cell phones have also been stolen – and other very suspicious cash
purchases of bulk numbers of prepaid cell phones have been made in
several states. Cell phones are often used as detonators in places like
Iraq and could be used the same way in America.
The third piece of the puzzle has also been obtained in large
numbers, but I hesitate to explain why this piece of a popular video
game system would also contribute to a terrorist’s completed
production. I don’t want to give anyone extra bad ideas on how to blow
things up.
Let’s just say that many components for bomb-making have been in the
news because of major purchases and thefts in recent weeks, that America
has been experiencing terrorist events for a while already, and tonight
provides an opportunity for terrorists hoping to target huge crowds of
distracted people. So while you could say this is just rumor, or
fear-mongering, I am told it is a very credible threat. I have no
particular inside information on where or when such things may be used –
but as I said at the beginning, Times Square in New York on New Years’
Eve always presents itself as a potential target – and so do hundreds of
other gatherings.
If you are going to be near a potentially jam packed area that sick
individuals might consider a juicy target, at least be aware of your
surroundings and alert authorities quickly if you find something
suspicious. Because there are many rumors of what could happen tonight,
and unfortunately they are grounded in reality.
FALSE FLAG XMAS / NEW YEAR? Obama Claims No Specific & Credible Threat Over Holidays
From the Illuminati Card Game which depicted many false flags that have already happened...
Austrian police warn of a possible terror attack between Christmas and New Year
Police in Vienna has stepped up security following a warning
about a potential terror attack employing explosives or firearms between
the Christmas and New Year holidays. According to police, the warning
was issued to several European capitals.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Austrian police said that the warning came from an unidentified “friendly intelligence service”
just days before Christmas, offering mostly general information about
the possible attacks without specifying potential targets or exact
dates.
It added that “several possible names of potential
attackers were mentioned, who were checked and the investigation based
on (these checks) has so far yielded no concrete results."
“We
do not know if these people exist in real life, or if they are only
names with no real person behind them. We have no evidence that they are
in Vienna, and we have no evidence that they are even in Europe,” Christoph Poelzl, a spokesman for Vienna police, said as quoted by the Guardian.
Poelzl
refused to give any further details concerning the terror warning as he
did not reveal the list of European capitals mentioned in the warning.
In
the view of the warning, Vienna authorities said that no public events
would be canceled but police surveillance will increase in the places
expected to attract large numbers of people during the specific period.
Police will also pay closer attention to suspicious bags.
Meanwhile,
France remains on high alert since Paris attacks in November. Last
week, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve ordered police and
security forces to be especially watchful during festive church
services.
‘Unprecedented’ Security for Rose Parade, Bowl Game
(Yahoo News)
More than two dozen federal agencies are joining forces with police to
bring an unprecedented level of security to the annual Rose Parade in
Pasadena, California, in the aftermath of the deadly mass shooting this
month in nearby San Bernardino.
Extraordinary security measures planned for the New Year’s Day event
include more than a dozen armed tactical “rapid-response” teams to be
posted along the parade route, along with dozens of surveillance
cameras, bomb-sniffing dogs and radiation-detection devices, law
enforcement officials said.
Some 700,000 spectators are expected to turn out in Old Town
Pasadena, north of the Los Angeles, for the 127th Tournament of Roses
Parade, a 5 1/2-mile procession of flower-adorned floats, marching bands
and equestrian teams. Millions more will watch the two-hour event on
live television. FULL RPEORT
Heavily Armed Anti-Terror Police to Guard Times Square on New Year’s
(NBC News)
Nearly 6,000 police officers — hundreds of them with long guns,
radiation detectors and bomb-sniffing dogs — will be guarding New York’s
Times Square as a year punctuated by terrorist attacks draws to a
close, officials said Tuesday.
The NYPD and the FBI unveiled plans to protect the more than 1
million people who will throng to the Crossroads of the World on New
Year’s Eve — including multilayered checkpoints and a new 500-member
Critical Response Command of elite counterterrorism cops launched two
months ago.
“We are very very confident that New Year’s Eve in New York City will
be the safest place in the world to be,” said Chief James Waters, who
is in charge of counterterrorism operations for the police
department. Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said investigators have
been monitoring intelligence channels for anything that would suggest
Times Square could be a target. FULL REPORT