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New York officials on ISIS threat: We 'will not live in fear'

Police said there is no 'specific and credible threat' to New York City, despite a recent video released by the Islamic State militant group threatening to attack the city.

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WNYW Fox 5 NY/AP
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a news conference in New York's Times Square, Wednesday. The New York Police Department says it's aware of a newly released Islamic State group video showing images of Times Square but says there's no current or specific threat to the city.
  • By Michael D. Regan Staff

New York City authorities reacted with defiant resolve Wednesday to a video allegedly released by the Islamic State militant group that threatens to attack the metropolis.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has been in touch with federal authorities that said the video is not a “specific and credible threat” to the Unites States’ most populated city.

"Stoking fear is the goal of terrorist organizations, but New York City will not be intimidated," Mayor de Blasio said during a news conference Wednesday night. "New Yorkers won't live in fear and people should continue to go to work, live their lives, and enjoy the greatest city in the world."

The six-minute video seems to show a suicide bomber zipping up a jacket and readying for an attack. Images of Times Square can also be seen, though police say much of the video is old and and it seems hastily prepared.

Footage of a suicide bomber holding what appears to be a bomb’s trigger also flashes to images of Times Square and Herald Square in the heart of the city’s tourist-heavy district. The video also shows scenes in Paris and of French President François Hollande.

“We cannot be intimidated, and that's what terrorists seek to do,” said New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton.  “They seek to create fear. They seek to intimidate. We will not be intimidated, and we will not live in fear."

The Maryland-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militants world-wide, relayed a description of the video to Reuters.

"Footage of New York shown in the ISIS video was taken from a video released by the group in April of this year,” SITE director Rita Katz said in an email to Reuters. “So while NYC is, and has been, a target for ISIS, today's video does not warrant any kind of panic.”

The Islamic State said it was responsible for Friday’s attacks in Paris, where 129 people were killed during a series of shootings and bombings.

De Blasio said New York City has installed new measures to address the recent threat.

"Just in this last week, we've initiated the first wave of our new Critical Response Command, which will grow to 500 officers specifically dedicated to anti-terrorism activities," he said.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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