24-Hour Air Patrols Resume Over New York

The United States government has resumed 24-hour air patrols over New York City after law enforcement and intelligence agencies warned that the city was in special danger from terrorists during the war with Iraq, senior government officials said today. The patrols, which are being conducted by Black Hawk helicopters and small, specially outfitted surveillance planes from the fleet of the Department of Homeland Security, began today without announcement, the officials said. The helicopters and surveillance jets are not armed but have radar and can call on fighter jets stationed nearby in an emergency, they said. The 24-hour patrols will be the first over New York City since early last year, when the Defense Department suspended the continuous air patrols over New York and Washington that had begun in the hours after the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. Two months ago, round-the-clock air patrols were resumed in Washington, and officials said at the time that more air patrols could be expected in New York if the United States invaded Iraq. Officials said the decision to resume the New York air patrols did not reflect a specific intelligence warning of a threat to New York from Al Qaeda or other terrorist groups. Full Story