Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued a chilling warning about a potential terrorist attack on the Statue of Liberty as the U.S. marks the 250th anniversary of its independence.
Speaking during a news conference in New York, Burgum lauded the U.S. Park Police, the oldest federal agency in the country, discussing their integral role in American history.
As he spoke about their work protecting the Statue of Liberty – one of America’s most iconic landmarks – he noted that it appears in images on most terrorist recruiting sites, warning that it could become the target of an attack one day.
“The Statue of Liberty, by the way, is the most featured image on terrorist recruiting sites,” Burgum said. “It’s the thing that, if someone could wreck our 250th anniversary…”
He went on to say that the U.S. Park Police screens over 4 million people who visit the monument each year before they board the iconic ferry that takes them to the island on which it sits.
“They protect the National Mall, the Golden Gate Recreation Area, but when you’re here on this ground today, at least 26,000 acres, the law enforcement for this national recreation is not the Metro – it’s not New York. It’s the U.S Park Police,” he said. Continue reading →