New York subway threat a hoax

TalkLeft writes: "The informant who tipped off authorites to last week's' New York Subway threat now admits it was a hoax:"

[Government] sources said an informant in Iraq who provided the tip had told investigators there was a terrorist plot involving New York's subway system. That informant admitted he gave false information, the sources said. On Monday, New York police said they would reduce the increased security measures put in place last week on the city's subways.

This is important, no doubt, but I actually think there's a more interesting passage in the CNN report. The third to last paragraph reads: "After Bloomberg's warning, some intelligence officials played down the New York information, saying it was not credible."

Supposedly these threats happen all the time but this was supposed to be the one that was credible.

After Peek speculated last week that the Subway threat -- as with the color- (and politics-) coded federal warning system -- was being manipulated by the Bush administration to divert attention from any number of scandals and unflattering news, AlterNet writer Steve Wishnia emailed to suggest that it was more likely to help Bloomberg overshadow the speaking engagement of his chief rival in the upcoming Mayoral race, Fernando Ferrer.

In that light, Bloomberg's chest-thumping and Bush-like bravado make a bit more sense... (TalkLeft and a special hat tip to Steve Wishnia)

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