With memories of the 9/11 attacks etched in the psyche of New Yorkers,city police say they give particular attention to Urdu and Bengali speakers when they eavesdrop in restaurants and stores to gather information on terrorists. Commanding officer of the New York Police Departments intelligence division Thomas Galati said he has keen interest in Urdu-speaking New Yorkers. Galatis eight-person demographics unit eavesdropped on thousands of Muslims in New York City and New Jersey and on Long Island. A potential terrorist could hide in here, Galati was quoted as saying by The New York Times. Nearly 80,000 New Yorkers,mostly of Pakistani and Indian descent,speak Urdu. Galati also said attention was being paid to Bengali-speaking New Yorkers perhaps 20,000 or 30,000 in number.
