Counterterrorism officials are assessing a report about the threat of an attack in New York City or Washington using a car or truck bomb and timed to the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, according to several officials briefed on the matter.

In a statement, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security, Matt Chandler, called the threat “specific, credible, but unconfirmed.” Another official said U.S. intelligence agencies were urgently pursuing leads overseas in an effort to gauge the seriousness of the threat.

“It's in the early stages, and a lot of vetting is being done in other places,” he said.

At 9:45 on Thursday night, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York and city's police commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said at a news conference that the police would set up vehicle checkpoints around the city, increase bag checks on the subway and keep a closer eye on bridges and tunnels. The Mayor noted that the threat information had not been corroborated and warned against an overreaction. He declined to speak about the nature of the threat report.

“The best thing we can do to fight terror is to not let it intimidate us,” said Mr. Bloomberg, adding that he planned to take the subway in the morning as usual. “I can tell you our ceremonies will go on over the weekend exactly as they were planned,” he said, referring to the memorial events for the 10th anniversary. — New York Times News Service

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