NEW YORK CITY Subway remains under control

Defense Department officials said a threat involved bombs in baby carriages.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
NEW YORK -- As New Yorkers coped Friday with a new and specific terror threat against the city's subway system, they also wrestled with a troubling question: Why did federal officials continue to downplay the seriousness of the threat that Mayor Michael Bloomberg said required a major increase in subway security?
Less than 24 hours after Bloomberg made a dramatic, late-afternoon announcement about an "imminent" subway bombing plot, the nation's largest transit system was operating smoothly, New York City officials said. Police, many in riot gear, were deployed in greater numbers than usual at many of the city's 468 stations.
There was a brief morning scare at Pennsylvania Station, where police evacuated the Amtrak waiting area and removed a soda can that was bubbling over with a suspicious green substance. It was later determined to be a prank, officials said.
Limited information
Although details of the subway threat were still sketchy, Defense Department officials disclosed that the plot, which purportedly involved placing bombs in baby carriages and other containers, had originally come to light from military sources in Iraq.
Based on that information -- later given to federal and New York officials -- military officers conducted a raid this week in Iraq designed to disrupt the plot, according to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joe Carpenter, a Pentagon spokesman. Federal officials refused to say how many individuals were arrested, saying the operation was classified.
Bloomberg said the city acted responsibly, based on what was known. Asked about the differing assessments at a news conference Friday afternoon, he said: "It's very different being an analyst in Washington as opposed to being here in New York, where you have a responsibility to protect lives."
Response
He disclosed that the city had learned of the potential threat several days ago. But officials did not say anything publicly in order to avoid jeopardizing the lives of American military personnel who were carrying out a raid near Baghdad to disrupt the plot. Once the military operation was complete, the public was notified, the mayor said.
Bloomberg said if he had to make a mistake, he would always err on the side of caution. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, who appeared with him, was even more emphatic about the threat and the city's response.
"We did exactly the right thing," he said, referring to the increase in police patrols of the vast subway system.
In Washington, officials said they supported New York City's right to issue a public warning. But they also continued to downplay the seriousness of the terror threat. Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan, echoing statements made earlier by the Department of Homeland Security, said the report was not yet found to be credible.
President Bush, asked if New York officials had overreacted by announcing the threat, said: "I think they took the information that we gave and made the judgments they thought were necessary."
He added that "the level of cooperation between the federal government and the local government is getting better and better, and part of that is the ability to pass information on. We did, and they responded."
In Washington, officials said they supported New York city's right to issue a public warning. But they also continued to downplay the seriousness of the terror threat. Presidential spokesman Scott McClellan, echoing statements made earlier by the Department of Homeland Security, said the report was not yet found to be credible.