Morning Bell: Another Bullet Dodged in New York
This past Saturday evening at 6:28 p.m., a white male in his 40s drove a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder into Times Square, parked, departed the vehicle, and slipped down a nearby alley. Within minutes a t-shirt street vendor alerted authorities about smoke emanating from the vehicle and, after pedestrians had been cleared from the area, a bomb squad discovered that the SUV was packed with what was intended to be lethal incendiary materials.
The device inside the SUV has since been described by investigators as “at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to explosives.” The large amounts of fertilizer surrounding the gas and propane tanks in the car was good for growing plants but bad for explosions; it was not the ammonium nitrate grade that can explode. Still if the propane and gas had ignited, the SUV would have exploded in half, spraying shrapnel with enough force to kill innocent pedestrians enjoying a warm summer evening in a busy Times Square.
On Sunday, the Pakistani Taliban posted a YouTube video created on April 30th claiming responsibility for the attack. But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “So far, there is no evidence that any of this has anything to do with one of the recognized terrorist organizations,” and New York police Commissioner Ray Kelly noted that the same group had falsely taken credit for previous attacks on U.S. soil.
Whether Saturday’s failed attack turns out to be connected to Islamic radicalism or is the work of a lone wolf, there have now been 31 foiled terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11, eleven in New York City alone. Yesterday’s plot was foiled by sheer luck and quick-thinking civilians. But luck is not an adequate strategy for protecting a nation. Continuing to stop acts of terrorism requires vigilance in finding and stopping people from doing this before they launch their attack. Effective intelligence collection, information-sharing and counter-terrorism operations are the best tools we have, making investigative authorities such as those granted under the PATRIOT Act so very important.
Unfortunately this Congress and this President have repeatedly prioritized politics over security. Instead of providing stability and confidence in the intelligence community by seeking long-term renewal of key investigatory authorities authorized under the USA Patriot Act, President Obama has settled for a six-month extension tacked on to the Defense appropriations bill. Such a move is unfortunate given that the PATRIOT Act provides just the type of investigative tools the United States needs for the foreseeable future. If our political leaders are serious about preventing terrorist attacks in the United States, they need to stop the delaying and renew the crime-stopping, lifesaving provisions of the act.
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Morning Bell: Another Bullet Dodged in New York
Somehow, I don’t think this was a well planned Taliban or al-Qaida bomb operation.
I hate the Taliban and al-Qaida, and everything they stand for. I am not defending them, in any way. But if this was an attempt to bomb Times Square, they are either slipping or have gone totally stupid.
I don’t think they are slipping. These guys KNOW how to build bombs.
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The recent incident in New York City wasn’t the work of a well trained terrorist bomber. Had he been a well trained bomber, there would have been dead people all over Times Square.
Maybe the *War on Terror*, you know the one I am talking about? The one that our President calls an Overseas Contingency or some such nonsense? Maybe it’s actually having an effect on the bomb making capabilities of the terrorists.
Let’s think about capability for a moment.
Northwest Airlines Flight 253 was an international passenger flight from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Amsterdam, Netherlands, to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The flight was the target of a failed al-Qaeda bombing attempt on Christmas Day, December 25, 2009, in which a passenger tried to set off plastic explosives sewn to his underwear. There were 290 people were on board the plane, which was operated by Northwest Airlines. SOURCE
All the Underwear Bomber accomplished was injury to himself! A dud!
Indeed these guys are looking quite inept at the moment, but their past performances in other nations still sends chills up your spine. Even a failed attempt can produce some stressful times for folks in the immediate area, and that is what the intent is, to cause TERROR, even if a bomb doesn’t go off, the mind still thinks TERROR. That is why the Pakistani Taliban has issued this story: Pakistani Taliban promise US attacks post-NY scare.
Don’t hide in terror America, if you hide, THEY (terrorists) win.
Our President may not call it a War on Terror, but the vast majority of Americans know that is exactly what we are facing. We also know that Barack Hussein Obama is looked upon as being the weakest leader America has had since Jimmy Carter. The Taliban and al-Qaida thought George W. Bush was a weak leader, they thought he would be the kind of man that did the *duck and cover*. They (terrorists) were wrong!
They (terrorists) have Obama’s number. They have his weaknesses pegged! They (terrorists) know that Obama still believes in his early Muslim teaching and the teachings he received in being an anti-American socialist, and they WILL play their *fish* for everything he is worth!
Overseas contingency? No America, it’s a War on Terror, and it’s here on our shores. Until such time as We, The People get a President that’s a fighter against Islam, and not a sympathizer with Islam, we will continue to have more threats, and possibly, more REAL attacks.
I remain unconvinced that this was the work of al Qaeda. Certainly the potential for devastation was present. But to make a large mistake by using the wrong form of fertilizer instead of going for the more industrial ammonium nitrate? If there is a larger security ring around AN in an attempt to reduce the possibility of people making ANFO, I’m all for that. And if that were the case I’d wager aQ would have gone to Plan B and not used the improper components.
Can’t say as I know who, but I’m guessing it wasn’t aQ. Or, if it was, they certainly didn’t bring their A Game or their A Players.
Dodged it, indeed.
America, do you get it yet? These fools or their wanna-be’s won’t stop. Ever.
BZ
Heck…. BZ, everyone that watches msnbc already KNOWS that al qaeda (AKA shitbags) didn’t do it. It was the right wing extremists like Texas Fred……..LOL
(ducking for cover)
From what has been said, this was so amateurish that it borders on the ridiculous… Looking for a forty year old man? Perhaps a pre teen might have more relevancy.
I used to work in the viacom building, there is no way to protect the area there is too much traffic. While it may not be directly Taliban, or al Qaeda they were certanly sympathisers. …Our weak kneed pres. coulnt identify terror if it smacked him in the face
The security cameras that caught this perp on video,, looked like he could of been one of those Michigan militants playing war out in the bushes.
His handy work regarding IED”s,, was childish.
Maybe it could of been a Democratic plant doing this to make it look bad for the other political parties and their beliefs?
Hummm… I watched this unfolding the other night. I’m with Fred, if a real terrorist organization wanted to blow Times Square to smithereens it would be rubble right now and there would be a body count. Let’s face it, they KNOW what components to use to maximize the effect and make it happen.
The fact that “a 40ish white guy” on film makes me wonder, was it moonbats wanting to have it pegged on the Tea Party people? The way they have been wailing about all of us being Tim McVeigh like… and considering the amateur results, it does make me wonder. It would be just like the manipulating moonbats to do something like that to deceive people. It’s their modus operand i. And of course Napolitano still can’t say the “T” word. This whole administration is loaded with liars and cowards.
Now it sounds like a “person of interest” may be involved, in some fashion, with Pakistan. The plot thickens.
I still hold, however: this isn’t Major aQ; this is a couple of people from the Farm Team.
BZ
The FAR OUT Farm Team BZ… 😎
We have escaped two serious threats between this and the Christmas day bomber by sheer luck. This president does not take the threat seriously and the terrorists know it. Whether or not this was the Taliban or al Qaeda is secondary to the fact that people who want to do this country harm are not afraid to attempt to do so because this president is weak and they know it.
Think about this for a second. We know al Qaida are experts at building bombs and we expect them to use that expertize if they ever try to blow something up in the US. This bomb was basically some propane tanks, fertilizer, gasoline, and firecrackers in a SUV; bottom of the food chain stuff. But, it still had the capability to kill quite a few people had it gone off. Can you imagine the terror people would have, to realize that terrorists have the makings of bombs available in their local Wall-Mart or hardware store? Many here may know that but John Q Public doesn’t. I used to plan exercises and simulated terrorist attacks when I was in the military and the simpler we could make things, the more effect it had. The troops expected the complicated but not the simple.
Bob, I can go into nearly every home in America and find all the ingredients I need to make a big honkin’ bomb… One that will actually go off…
These guys were rank amateurs at best…
I have my doubts about it being al-Qaeda or the Taliban. As you said they probably wouldn’t have failed. The main reason they wouldn’t have failed, is because they would have stuck around to blow it up, themselves included. Do I believe it was a Muslim or Muslim sympathizer, probably, but not someone associated with an organized group that knows what they are doing.
There is so much to speculate about…I mean I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that it was some gov’t entity doing something to put the spotlight on “white guys”. I don’t subscribe to the thought, but I can see how the saying, “ignorance is bliss” is applicable to so many. There’s so much misinformation, so much confusion, so much to research just to try and find some semblance of truth. It takes work and most are not interested in working it out. I remember right after 9/11 I saw American flags all over the place. There was a feeling of nationalism. Soon that feeling disappeared and the liberal left came in and won the big one, right out from under our noses. There’s no perfect President, but with this one, if I could be scared, this Admin. could do it.
“Ode on a Distant Prospect of Eton College”
Yet ah, why should they know their fate
Since sorrow never comes too late
And happiness too quickly flies.
Thought would destroy their paradise.
Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.
—Thomas Gray, 1742
Oops…now the news is saying the suspect is a naturalized Pakistani. Hmmm.
Might be… Maybe he left Pakiland BEFORE the bomb making classes! 😛
The Libtards were practically praying that it was a right wing extremist who attempted the bombing. It will be most enjoyable watching them eat all of their speculative words.