NYPD says Iranian spies have conducted 'hostile reconnaissance' in NYC

Updated: 8:26 PM, March 21, 2012

NEWSCORE:

Iranian spies have conducted "hostile reconnaissance" of New York City landmarks and infrastructure on at least six occasions since 2002, the NYPD's director of intelligence told Congress on Wednesday.

The NYPD says it has interviewed at least 13 individuals associated with the government of Iran who were caught suspiciously videotaping or photographing New York City landmarks and infrastructure, including the subway tracks in Grand Central Station, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Wall Street Heliport.

NYPD Director of Intelligence Analysis Mitchell Silber told Congress that New York City's international significance and large Jewish presence makes it "the most likely venue for global tensions with Iran to spill over onto American soil."

"A terrorist attack by Iran or [the Iranian-backed terror group] Hizbollah in New York City could serve as retaliation for real or perceived US support or involvement in military action against Iran's nuclear facilities or against its regime," Silber said.

In light of this threat, Silber said the NYPD has been studying the modus operandi in Iranian-linked attacks, from the 1992 and 1994 bombings on Jewish targets in Argentina to 2012 attacks in India and Thailand.

"Iran has a proven record of using its official presence in a foreign city to coordinate attacks, which are then carried out by Hizbollah agents from abroad, often leveraging the local community -- whether wittingly or not -- as facilitators," Silber said.

Silber said the NYPD was remaining vigilant to prevent any Iranian-linked terrorist activities in the nation's largest city.

His testimony follows US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper's assertion in January that Iranian officials "are now more willing to conduct an attack in the United States in response to real or perceived US actions that threaten the regime."

Officials have said there are currently no known specific Iranian plots to attack the US.

The NYPD also announced Wednesday that it will continue its increased presence in Jewish neighborhoods through at least the end of the week in reaction to a Monday shooting at a Jewish school in Toulouse, France, that killed three children and a rabbi.

The NYPD said there were no specific threats to Jewish areas and the additional security was aimed at preventing a copycat attack.