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:
[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.
Its a setup......... the taliban probably wanted to see how we would react to another odd object. You ever think about that FBI !!!!
Every terrosrist is having link in pakistan ...why US is not taking any strong action against them ??
Better safe then sorry at this point. And for all the great thinkers on here who can only bash NYC, Mayor Bloomberg, the NYPD and anything that has to do with New York you prove without a shadow of a doubt why this country is in the shape it is in at the moment.
by the way, this stuff happens every day in nyc, you just may not always catch the news blurb on it (did you hear about the abandoned uhaul on the triboro bridge the other night that reeked of gasoline?). this is our way of life, yet we live happy and fearless everyday, and more aware of the world around us. try it sometime – we are well aware of the wimp crybaby ignoramus demographics in this country, which is why we live here.
Its New York City........WHO CARES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with Walter's comment. Best one, yet.
Thank you, sir.
Its a setup......... the taliban probably wanted to see how we would react to another odd object. You ever think about that FBI!!!!!!
Kris10 wants to suck Walter's c***
Let me guess its going to be another paki
I saw a parked car. It could have a bomb in it. I think we should call the bomb squad. I wonder how stupid they felt when they found just water in the cooler. Way to go World Police Team America....
Comment 945 (Really)
It's Cdizz. Please try to get it right when you reply back to this...
For help with Dyslexia, please call the American Dyslexia Association
One Sarasota Tower
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CDIZZ (see I got it right! LOL),
Give me your Momma's address and I'll pay her a visit instead.... 🙂
it was obviously a typo from typing to fast you idiot. Nice attempt at a swarmy intellectual comeback you a$$hat
drill baby drill!
pretty sure dontcareforNYimnWA has a hard on for NYers cause he knows the NY women are too classy, smart, and gorgeous to mess with a redneck from WV...one tooth...mullet...we dont run with clowns like that
paranoia is a poor word choice. heightened awareness is really what this.
on a separate note, why do people who post feel the need to insult, criticize or demean others by calling them names. stick to the topic at hand. otherwise you appear to be less credible.
A lot of people on this post have not read the Term of Service agrrement that come with these comments, how disappointing, Shall we go for 2000 comments?