No specific, credible threats ahead of UN General Assembly, NYPD says

Friday, September 17, 2021

No credible threats ahead of UN General Assembly, NYPD says

The NYPD said Friday that there are no specific or credible threats for next week's UN General Assembly.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- World leaders, including President Joe Biden, return to New York starting next week for the UN General Assembly, but there are no specific or credible threats associated with the event, the NYPD said Friday.

The absence of such threats "has very little to do with our posture on these things," said Deputy New York Police Commissioner John Miller.

"That's due to the international symbolism of the event the amount of media coverage and the attention around it," Miller said.

President Biden is expected to participate in person, but Miller said there's nobody flying in from Afghanistan since its recognized government is in exile.

There is curiosity about who will be allowed to represent Afghanistan since its current UN envoy represents a government that no longer exists.

There's a similar question about Myanmar and whether its military government will be recognized.

This year's gathering of dignitaries from 132 countries is smaller than in prior years, due mainly to the pandemic.

Recovery from the pandemic is expected to be a focus of their annual gathering, as is reasserting the influence of the UN after the organization found itself sidelined because of pandemic restrictions.

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