Breaking, unconfirmed: 3 Arabs detained on Williamsburg Bridge; bridge closed

WABC radio - NYC/FOX NEWS | 3/28/03 | self

[shhrubbery!]

WABC radio is reporting three persons of "Arabic descent" have been detained after leaving suspicious item on Williamsburg Bridge.

This bridge is one of the main routes into Manhattan from Brooklyn.

[shhrubbery!]

Fox 5 news saying they REPELLED off the bridge when confronted.

OK, Fox 5 repeated first reports said the men, of "middle eastern descent," "rapelled down the side of the structure."

This is not yet confirmed.

Still saying the men are now in custody.

[Monty22]

They sure seem to forget about these stories quick.. they being the media.

They come and go pretty often it seems.. A shuttle here, a tanker there. No connection seen by the mass media..

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Isn't western Atlantic Avenue (not far from Brooklyn side of the Williamsburg Bridge) heavily Lebanese? Both Christian and Muslim? Just asking.

[TomGuy]

confirmed that the 3 men are middle eastern, on the bridge for no known reason

Uhhh...maybe they, uhhhh...like....wanted to get to the other side--but got skeert when the construction worker said "boo".

[Critter]

it it it it!

[oceanview]

the source for the "middle eastern" report is from the mayor's office, sounds solid.

[exnavy]

They may have on that bridge because they were tired of living, and saw no other way out.

[oceanview]

the men were seen climbing the tower on the manhattan side of the bridge.

[PianoMan]

Per FOx 5, they were trying to climb the tower of the bridge! (aka Manhattan Tower)

[oceanview]

now the Manhattan Bridge has been closed also.

[Fitzcarraldo]

They should be released so they can be followed! (/sarcasm)

[Securo]

If this is for real...odds are it is coordinated with other planned attacks!

[FReepaholic]

>>...three persons of "Arabic descent" have been detained after leaving suspicious item on Williamsburg Bridge....<<

Is an Arab leaving "items" on a bridge the same as a dog leaving "gifts" on the carpet?

[Chad Fairbanks]

Bttt...

[smiley]

Police should have repelled these 3 off the bridge....accidently, of course..:)

[LurkedLongEnough]

If they turn out to NOT be middle easterners, the media will change its story to report that they were anti-war protestors.

[CheneyChick]

I'm sure they were just painting the name of their sweethearts on the brige to declare their undying love. (At least that's the way we do it here in the South;^)

Here in CA on the Golden Gate it would either be: (A) Suicide pact or, (B) BUNGEEEEEE!

[OXENinFLA]

WTF, Bump

[Nucluside]

"Well, you see, ossifer, we saw this thing on the side of the bridge and thought it might be an explosive planted by bad arabs. We are good arabs and decided to remove it so no one would be hurt."

[Pharmboy]

Atlantic Ave. is the Gaza Strip of New York, with the largest Arab population (other than Detroit) in the US of A. It is closer to the Brooklyn Bridge than the Williamsburg, but only a few miles nonetheless.