First 5 floors of Waldorf Astoria evacuated

Fox News Channel | 030603 | FNC

[HairOfTheDog]

Imagine that, a suitcase at a hotel.

HA!

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

Might have been "muffled explosions"? (FNC)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

muffled explosions, also heard on FOX... can you confirm on your local news, also?

[areafiftyone]

We used to have our Company meetings there in the Ball Room. It is beautiful! One of the best hotels in NYC and the oldest!

[rintense]

A gun in a garbage can in NYC? How is that breaking news? /sarcasm

It will be interesting to see if this turns out to be something against Powell...

[hellinahandcart]

They didn't say he was there now.

Bet you he IS there now, because of Blix speaking tomorrow at the UN.

[StarFan]

T'wasn't me, Jim's hard drive burped.

It was just confirmed that Colin Powell IS indeed staying at the hotel.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

maybe someone is just trying to annoy Powell... I wouldn't put it past the "professional protestors"

[AnnO]

Wasn't Klinton there last night and holding court and several world leaders cut out early on an economic conference at David's restaurant to go hear Bill tell how much better he would be handling world affairs. I would not be surprised if Klinton stayed over because of his show on 60 Minutes in a few days. Fox just confirmed that Colin Powell is staying there tonight (CNN scooped them by about 5 minutes)....bet Colin has already been moved to "Joe's Motel" by the Secret Service!

[dep]

yes.

also, i met sam donaldson there, when i was a wor radio reporter covering a news conference by ted kennedy. (i asked teddy his reaction to the death of bobby sands, the ira terrorist who had starved himself to death in a prison hunger strike. teddy said that "we all mourn the unnecessary death of tommy sands," confusing the terrorist with the disney actor. donaldson that night was consistent with teddy, renaming bobby tommy.)

dep

[Thane_Banquo]

also that a gun had been found in a trash can across the street...

This has to be a lie. NYC has gun control. There are no guns there.

< /sarcasm >

[StarFan]

I suspect other members of the UN might be staying there as well.

[goldylight]

A bomb scare forced the evacuation late Thursday of the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York where diplomats were discussing possible compromises for a final U.N. resolution on Iraq.

According to reports a suitcase with wires sticking out was found at the hotel, near United Nations headquarters on the east side of Manhattan.

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell was reportedly at the Waldorf Astoria Thursday night for talks with representatives from other United Nations Security Council members over a possible resolution.

The diplomats were in New York for a key meeting on Friday. Hans Blix, chief U.N. weapons inspector for Iraq, is scheduled to address a closed meeting of the Security Council starting about 10:30 a.m. Friday. DEVELOPING///

VIA Drudge

[hellinahandcart]

The company my father worked for had a long-term lease on an enormous suite in the Waldorf Towers, back in the days where companies used to be able to write those things off.

I was there once or twice, a couple decades ago, and if you ever become independently wealthy I HIGHLY recommend it. Damn it was nice.

[Naspino]

Some thoughts

• Muffled Explosion: Bomb squad would detonate any "suspicious" package -- doesn't mean they detonated a bomb.
• Why only the first 5 floors if they thought it was a bomb capable of bringing the building down (killing Colin Powell -- who I would think would NOT be in the first 5 floors for security reasons.
• Evacuating the first 5 floors sounds like they are getting room to work. Hostage situation -- or possibly to diffuse something that could destroy more than just the first five floors.

[speedy]

You can bet Klintoon spends more time there than in his office in Harlem. Colin Powell should try The Carlyle -- quieter, out of the way. And a better piano bar than the Waldorf. But the Waldorf has old-style grandeur. And you can still get a Waldorf Salad there.

[knak]

a suitcase with wires? odd

[TrappedInLiberalHell]

maybe someone is just trying to annoy Powell... I wouldn't put it past the "professional protestors"

I'm sure the liberals will jump right on it and cry "Hate Crime!" Oh, wait, no they won't, because Powell supports President Bush.

[Lauratealeaf]

A gun in a garbage can in NYC? How is that breaking news? /sarcasm It will be interesting to see if this turns out to be something against Powell...

My husband pointed out that there could have been a plan to shoot the people who are evacuated. This is some kind of attempt at terrorizing New York City and the rest of us.

[relee]

,,,a suspicious package...

Al Gore's on another magazine cover?