"Warning doesn't stop New York helicopter tours"

Monday, August 9, 2004

Warning doesn't stop New York helicopter tours
The Associated Press


NEW YORK -- Tourists boarded helicopters for sightseeing tours of the
New York area today despite reports that al-Qaida has considered using
tour copters in terrorist attacks. 

"We're all here and we're all together," said Gisele Dorte of
Martinique, who boarded a Liberty Helicopter Tours chopper with her
family. 

The FBI sent two bulletins Friday night to police and other government
officials nationwide. The first warned of a possible helicopter threat
in a U.S. city. 

"Al-Qaida has apparently considered the use of helicopters as an
alternative to recruiting operatives for fixed-wing aircraft," said the
bulletin, obtained today by The Associated Press. 

The second bulletin warned that terrorists also have considered using a
variety of rental vehicles, including limousines, to conceal powerful
bombs. 

Limos have more cargo capacity than cars, and they might be able to gain
access to locations such as parking garages because "they often convey
an impression of authority or prestige," the FBI said. 

Both bulletins urged extra vigilance by people who operate car and truck
rental businesses and those who handle airport security. 

The FBI repeated the government's concern that al-Qaida intends to
attack the United States before the Nov. 2 election. 

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg dismissed the helicopter warning as
"nothing new," saying security at heliports has been tight since
terrorists crashed airliners into the World Trade Center towers. 

"Using an aircraft as a weapon ... is nothing new, we learned that
lesson on 9/11 at enormous cost," Bloomberg said today. "Ever since then
you've not been able to just go and hop on a helicopter carrying
anything ... you have to be vigilant." 

Law enforcement officials in New York said the only report they had
received linking helicopters to potential terror attacks was that
evidence recovered in Pakistan showed terror suspects may have taken a
helicopter ride to gather information on possible targets. 

They said they knew of no plans to use helicopters as weapons: "There's
no indication of that," New York Police Department chief spokesman Paul
Browne said. 

Some law enforcement experts believe that with relatively complex
controls and smaller payloads than a single-engine plane, helicopters
make an unlikely tool for terrorism, officials said. 

"There's indication they've looked at helicopters but no indications
they had plans to use them," said one law enforcement official, speaking
on condition of anonymity. "They had photographed helicopters in New
York but there's still no indication of what they had in mind." 

Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Arlene Salac said no
restrictions had been put into place regarding helicopter flights in and
around Manhattan. Federal security agencies would make any decisions
about flight restrictions, which would then be implemented by the FAA. 

Officers were stationed outside Liberty Helicopter Tours on the Hudson
River, but otherwise no extra security measures appeared to be in force.


Liberty officials declined to answer questions. But a pilot who would
not give his name said security measures including metal detectors have
been in place since before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. 

Disembarking passengers today said their bags were searched before being
placed in lockers and they went through metal detectors and were
searched again with a hand-held wand.


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