Metro

NYC on alert after ‘specific, credible’ threat of 9/11 car-bomb attack

Mayor Bloomberg and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly at a late-night press conference at police headquarters on Thursday.

Mayor Bloomberg and New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly at a late-night press conference at police headquarters on Thursday. (REUTERS)

A “specific” and “credible” terror threat against New York and Washington, DC, was revealed last night — involving three men who entered the country last month from Pakistan and were instructed by al Qaeda to detonate a car bomb on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, law-enforcement sources told The Post.

The information, which came from chatter picked up overseas by the CIA, said the attack would occur on the 10th, 11th or 12th, the sources said.

“It does feel more operational than most of the others we’ve had that have been more aspirational,” another source said.

One of the suspects is an American citizen, ABC News said.

COMPLETE 9/11 ANNIVERSARY COVERAGE

NYPD officials have also been briefed in recent days about three men who were arrested in Ottawa with 2,000 pounds of stolen explosives, as well as two men captured in Berlin.

Cops are checking whether those arrests are connected to the possible anniversary attack, sources said.

“The NYPD, FBI and entire intelligence community have been on heightened alert,” Mayor Bloomberg said at a late night press conference at Police Headquarters.

“We know terrorists view the anniversary as a time to strike again. Over the next few days, we should all keep our eyes wide open.”

Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said cops will work an extra four hours on their shifts through Monday, and promised more vehicle checks on bridges and tunnels — using bomb-sniffing dogs, radiation detectors and automatic license-plate readers.

Kelly also said there will be more bag checks on subways, and increased vigilance on illegally parked cars.

DC cops vowed similar measures.

A counterterrorism official said they were focusing on bridges and tunnels as the main targets.

Jane Fedarcyck, assistant director in charge of the FBI’S New York field office, added at the press conference, “As we know from the intelligence gathering following the Osama bin Laden raid, al Qaeda has shown interest in important dates and anniversaries.”

The Port Authority is set to beef up its security and will be conducting vehicle checks at all its major crossings, a source said, adding, “The PAPD doesn’t ramp up for just anything, and they’re ramping up for this.”

Officials cautioned that while the threat was credible, it was “uncorroborated,” but they still stressed that anyone who sees anything suspicious should alert authorities.

Gov. Cuomo said, “All New Yorkers should be cautious and aware as we prepare to commemorate the 9/11 anniversary.”

Bloomberg said, “I will take the subway [this] morning and feel just as safe as I did [yesterday].”

A White House official said President Obama was briefed yesterday morning and he “directed the counterterrorism community to redouble its efforts.”

Additional reporting by Josh Saul, Josh Margolin, Philip Messing, Chuck Bennett and Tim Perone in NY and Geoff Earle in DC