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All-clear given in Times Square scare
Police have blocked off parts of Times Square and evacuated people because of a suspicious cooler left in Times Square.
[Updated at 6:06 p.m.] Read the full CNN.com story
[Updated at 2:32 p.m.] Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York acknowledged after that incident that terrorists have targeted New York.
"We have to take every precaution, as you know, because we remain a prime target for terrorists," he said. "That's something all New Yorkers understand and it's something that we need Washington to understand as well."
"We will continue to doing everything we possibly can to protect New Yorkers from terrorist attacks. We have, as you know, built the most comprehensive and sophisticated counter terrorism operation of any local police force in the world."
[Updated at 2:24 p.m.] An all-clear was declared Friday after authorities investigated a suspicious package left in front of a hotel in Times Square and determined that it contained water bottles, police said.
[Updated at 2:10 p.m.] The New York Police Department has deployed a robot to X-ray the cooler that was abandoned in front of the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, police told CNN's Susan Candiotti.
[Updated at 2:15 p.m.] A bomb squad robot has completed its X-ray of the suspicious cooler left in Times Square, CNN's Susan Candiotti reported. But, the results were inconclusive.
Members of the bomb squad are now suiting up to get a closer look.
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[Updated at 2:01 p.m.] CNN's Ali Velshi who is on 47th Street and Broadway reports: "Times Square is entirely empty" on certain blocks.
[Updated at 1:58 p.m.] Kathy Duffy, who is in her office at the Marriott Marquis hotel, told CNN the Times Square Alliance said there was an abandoned cooler left outside. Duffy said officials told her that the bomb squad was trying to determine if it was a threat. She said that the hotel has not been told to evacuate.
[Updated at 1:51 p.m.] A spokesman for the Times Square Alliance says, according to the NYPD, the following streets are closed:
- East bound on 46th Street from 8th Ave
- West bound on 45th Street from 6th Ave.
- And the Broadway and 7th Avenue plaza between 44th and 47th.
- 44th and 47th Streets themselves are not closed.
[Updated at 1:45 p.m.] The suspicious package that prompted evacuations in New York's Times Square is a white cooler that was left near the front of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, police told CNN.
The area is not far from where Faisal Shahzad left his SUV that had explosives in it.
People were evacuated from the streets of Times Square after a report of a suspicious package.
[Posted at 1:24 p.m.] Times Square has been evacuated after a suspicious package was found near 45th street, a New York Police Department official said.
The package was found near 45th Street and Broadway, officials said.
The evacuation comes six days after an SUV with explosives was left in Times Square resulting in the arrest of Faisal Shahzad.
This story is developing. We'll bring you the latest information as we get it.
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omg. 100 bucks there's brewskis or pepsi in it.
9/11/01 cost 3 billion
war in afghanistan and iraq 20 billion a day
watching failed wannabee terrorists and getting caught at it... Priceless!!!!
This may be paranoia on the part of New Yorkers and the police force, but I think this is either just a bunch of wannabe terrorists or a way for the real terrorists to gain intelligence into our response and response time to these events. It is also a way for them to see what the oridinary citizen will do when in close proximity to one of these events. I was just watching the Live Feed and just noticed what a nice target all those onlookers would be. Think about this. The real bomb passes by in a vehicle behind the crowd (outside the police perimeter). See what I mean? Remember folks, these guys (terrorists) are conducting militray style operations and they would plan a real attack that would maximize the number of casualties. The only way we would know is when we read it on the internet or papers or saw it on the television. These terrorists (the real ones) are not stupid by any stretch of the imagination.
who would want to even cause this much problems maybe its not a bad cooler
This just in. . . an officer on the scene has reported they've looked inside the cooler and found a mysterious red substance in a gatorade bottle, and it looks like a bologna sandwitch is being used as the detonator. . .
CNN why are you perpetuating this hysteria? You're better than this....aren't you?
keep the story alive....Letterman and Leno will have good material for tonight.
We do not have to focus on the Gulf of Texaco....
Ask the construction workers, I bet it's full of beer!
Absolutely rather be safe than sorry and these kind of precautions is what makes you New York the safest big city in the country. Inconvenience is a small price to pay for living in this amazing city!
It's all fun until someone gets an eye knocked out...
Its terrible what happens when things like this are developing, so scary.
That is an area that no matter what time is there is always lots of people walking around.
Hope that nothing happens, that is my city that I love so much
Regardless of what turns out to be in the mystery cooler, the bad guys have won. After 8 years of making new enemies around the world, America is destined to spend the next 8 chasing shadows. Dubya and Dickie are no doubt proud . . .
maybe the cooler is full of beer!
I can understand being paranoid. I would be to if I lived there in NYC. Everyone be safe and just stay away from there for now. Everyday we live in fear in this country but we should not have to worry about this all the time. My heart goes out to the people and their families on September 11th. My thoughts are with you all in NYC. These people who are doing this are just wanting to scare us. I mean twice in a week. I have a cousin who lives in NYC and I hope he is safe.
"DAN" due process shouldn't apply to those without citizenship or to terrorists. I don't see them holding trials for us..they just cut our heads off and throw us in the gutter!