New York Police Department patrol in Times Square on December 31, 2014 in New York City. (Photo: Andrew Theodorakis/Getty)
The Islamic State (ISIS) released a new video on Wednesday praising the recent attacks in Paris, which recycles old footage of a suicide bomber gearing up to attack New York City’s Times Square.
The video, which was released by Furat Media Center, the propaganda media wing of the Islamic State, features several men speaking in Arabic and French, congratulating ISIS over the Paris attacks and vowing victory for Allah via the terror army’s activities.
The video also shows French President Francois Hollande’s address following the attacks on Paris last week, which is interchanging with scenes from an older video of New York City. Time Square is shown before an ISIS militant is depicted stating that the attacks in Paris were just the beginning. The video then cuts to a militant with a suicide bomb vest overlaid with footage of flashing billboards and yellow taxi cabs.
The jihadist video ends with a message on screen that reads “and what is to come will be worse and more bitter.”
While none of the video’s speakers specifically reference an attack on Times Square, the imagery of the suicide bomber preparing to attack says it all New York City Police Department spokesman Stephen Davis said the agency is aware of the video, and will continue to work with the FBI and intelligence community.
“While some of the video footage is not new, the video reaffirms the message that New York City remains a top terrorist target,” he said.
The video release comes as more than half of the nation’s governors have vowed to either fight or express their disagreement with the president’s plan to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees. At least one of the terrorists in the Paris attacks posed as an asylum-seeker in order to enter Europe through a popular entry point for the flood of migrants.
“While there is no current or specific threat to the City at this time, we will remain at a heightened state of vigilance and will continue to work with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the entire intelligence community to keep the City of New York safe,” NYPD director of communication J. Peter Donald said in a statement.
He added that the department would continue deploying Critical Response Command teams throughout the city “out of an abundance of caution.”
Polls show the American public is overwhelming opposed to the president’s plan to take in Syrian refugees, and concern over an attack on the homeland is nearing post-9/11 levels.
