Posted on 05/01/2010 9:09:39 PM PDT by Steelfish
Times Square Is Evacuated in Bomb Scare
The scene at Times Square on Saturday night after police found a suspicious package inside a Pathfinder on West 45th Street.
RAY RIVERA and KARIN HENRY May 1, 2010
A bomb in Times Square led to the evacuation of thousands of tourists and theatergoers from the area on a warm and busy Saturday evening, the police said. There was no explosion.
“It appears to be a car bomb left in a Pathfinder between Seventh and Eighth,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. The device, he said, contained “explosive elements” that included “propane tanks, some kind of powder, gasoline and a timing device.”
“This is very much an active investigation,” he said.
The device was discovered by a mounted police officer who saw a box with smoke pouring from it in the back of the Pathfinder, Mr. Browne said. The officer called for backup, and the Fire Department and bomb squad.
The Pathfinder’s back window was broken out, Mr. Browne said, and the police sent in a “robotic device” to “observe it.”
Police began evacuating Times Square, starting with businesses along Seventh Avenue, including a Foot Locker store and a McDonald’s restaurant.
The license plates on the Nissan were registered to a Ford, the police said.
A New York City firefighter who told Reuters he arrived early on the scene said that the vehicle was smoking and that he saw “a flash” from the back of the it. “We put two and two together” and the evacuation was ordered, he said. Broadway was closed between at least 43rd and 46th Streets, and the police also appeared to be closing off part of Eighth Avenue.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
There are more than 500 Faisal Shazads on Facebook.
This is probably not even his real name.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/pistole050410.htm
Deputy Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Press Conference Regarding Times Square Investigation
Washington, D.C.
May 4, 2010
* Remarks as prepared for delivery.
Good afternoon. I want to commend the men and women who have worked around the clock since Saturday to find those responsible for what could have been a deadly attack—a host of agencies, departments, and individuals working together toward a single goal. Our collective success unraveling this plot comes down to traditional investigative skills and intelligence collection.
We used traditional law enforcement techniques, such as federal court authorized search warrants, along with intelligence-based authorities, to maximize our evidence and intelligence gathering. Using these techniques, we were able to identify Faisal Shahzad as the person who purchased the 1993 Pathfinder. Customs and Border Protection identified Shahzad’s extensive travel to Pakistan, which led to expanded investigative steps enabling us to fully identify, locate, and eventually arrest Shahzad. A key step in this process occurred around noon yesterday, when we placed Shahzad on the no-fly list. Customs and Border Protection then did an outstanding job identifying Shahzad as the person on the JFK flight last night.
JTTF agents and officers interviewed Mr. Shahzad last night/early this morning under the public safety exception to the Miranda rule. He was cooperative and provided valuable intelligence and evidence. He was eventually transported to another location, Mirandized, and continued talking.
We in the FBI, with our law enforcement and intelligence partners here at home and around the world, continue to investigate this matter. We are conducting a forensic examination of all evidence collected by the NYPD at the scene. Much of this evidence has been transferred to the FBI Laboratory so that we can test the individual chemical composition of the materiel in the explosive device. We also want to test the potential impact of the device to ascertain what would have happened had it worked as intended.
We are working with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to uncover all possible ties this particular individual has or may have had to radical extremism or terrorist organizations, both at home and overseas, and we are pursuing every lead in that regard. And, as always, we are seeking out all those who would orchestrate these kinds of attacks.
Prevention will continue to be our end-game. And we offer thanks to vigilant citizens, like the vendors in Times Square who first noticed this suspicious vehicle. This investigation, like others we have handled in the past year, once again reminds us that our work is not finished. And we will continue to work side-by-side with our partners—and with citizens across the country—to find and stop those who would do us harm.
blog:
http://hotair.com/archives/2010/05/04/pakistan-arrests-eight-in-connection-to-times-square-attack/
“Pakistan arrests eight in connection to Times Square attack; Update: High-Value Interrogation Group handling Shahzad”
POSTED AT 12:55 PM ON MAY 4, 2010 BY ED MORRISSEY
#
Note: Undated photo is included.
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/90f8d680425b17c88ca2fdfd2144cc21/faisal.JPG?MOD=AJPERES
#
“Pakistan arrests relatives of NY bomb suspect”
Wednesday, 05 May, 2010
ISLAMABAD:
SNIPPET: “Shahzad, 30, was arrested late on Monday night after he was taken off an Emirates airline plane that was just about to take off for Dubai. Hours later, several relatives and a friend were arrested in Pakistan.”
SNIPPET: ““Pakistan and the US have ongoing, robust cooperation on counter-terrorism. If required, we will extend fullest cooperation to US,” the official added.”
SNIPPET: “Shahzad is from the disputed Kashmiri region but it is not known if he was affiliated with any militant group, a source familiar with the investigation said on Tuesday. The source asked not to be named because the issue is sensitive.”
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703866704575223671205160344.html
NEW YORKMAY 4, 2010, 3:44 P.M. ET
“Times Square Suspect Received Bomb Training”
By EVAN PEREZ, ZAHID HUSSAIN And ANDREW GROSSMAN
SNIPPET: “Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad told interrogators that he received training in bomb making during a recent five-month trip to Pakistan, according to a senior U.S. official familiar with the matter.
The official said Mr. Shahzad received his training in the tribal region of Waziristan bordering the Afghan border. South Waziristan is currently the site of a continuing Pakistani military offensive against Islamic militants affiliated with al Qaeda. The region of North Waziristan is the locus of the Central Intelligence Agency campaign to kill militants with unmanned drone strikes.
Mr. Shahzad, a 30-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Pakistan, returned in February from a five-month visit to Pakistan, authorities said. He told Federal Bureau of Investigation interrogators that he acted alone in the botched bombing attempt on Saturday.
Investigators are still pursuing leads and combing through evidence that may point to additional plotters in the U.S. or abroad. Nothing has been ruled out by investigators, officials said.”
http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/05/05/gal_terrorist_orkut.jpg
“Twitter via @newsbell”
#
“Faisal Shahzad: Who is the terror suspect behind the Times Square car bomb?”
BY KEVIN DEUTSCH IN BRIDGEPORT, CONN.”>CONN., JOE JACKSON IN SHELTON, CONN., AND ROCCO PARASCANDOLA AND RICH SCHAPIRO IN NEW YORK
DAILY NEWS WRITERS
Tuesday, May 4th 2010, 3:06 PM
SNIPPET: “The man at the center of the botched Times Square car bomb plot was known in his neighborhood as a mysterious loner who kept odd hours and “always looked on edge,” neighbors said Tuesday.
“I thought he might be connected to to terrorism - a lot of us did because he acted strangely,” said Dashawn LeBelle, who lives near Faisal Shahzad in Bridgeport, Conn. “But we didn’t call police. We should have called.”
“He would be carrying in boxes in the middle of the night. He always looked on edge,” said LeBelle, who added that he often wore Islamic garb.
“We knew something weird was going on.””
SNIPPET: “Shahzad recently traveled to Pakistan, where he reportedly spent time in Karachi and Peshawar, an area known as a haven for Islamic militants, officials said.
A married father of two small children, Shahzad moved to Bridgeport, Conn., with his wife, Huma Mian, last year.”
SNIPPET: “Neighbor Brenda Thurman, 37, said Shahzad dressed nicely and claimed to work on Wall Street.”
http://michellemalkin.com/2010/05/05/the-jihadists-deadly-path-to-citizenship/
“The jihadists’ deadly path to citizenship”
By Michelle Malkin • May 5, 2010 02:32 AM
http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2010/05/times_square_bomber_met_with_q.php
“Qari Hussain met with Times Square bomber: Report”
By BILL ROGGIO
May 5, 2010 12:30 PM
SNIPPET: “According to AKI, Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-American in custody who admitted to carrying out the failed Times Square bomb plot, had met with Qari Hussain Mehsud, the Taliban’s top trainer of suicide bombers:
Officials believe 30-year-old Shahzad, a Karachi-born Pushtun, had no relationship with any militant organisation, until Rehan put him in contact with Qari Hussain Mehsud, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban’s suicide squad and explosives expert.
Hussain is believed to have provided training to Shahzad on improvised explosives on a recent visit to Pakistan.
I have heard a similar report from a US intelligence official but have not been able to confirm this, so the AKI report is very interesting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a video of Shahzad flanked by Qari Hussain or Taliban leader Hakeemullah Mehsud.
Qari Hussain took credit for the planned Times Square attack in an audiotape that appeared on a YouTube site created by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel on April 30, just one day before the attack. Qari Hussain’s audiotape was uploaded on April 30, the same day the Taliban news channel was created.”
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=3.1.345307194
“Pakistan: NY bomb suspect ‘met Taliban explosives expert’”
Islamabad, 5 May (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad -
SNIPPET: “Pakistani investigators believe the man accused of the failed bomb attack in Times Square, Faisal Shahzad, learned about explosives from a senior Taliban expert at a training camp in Pakistan. Mohammad Rehan, one of eight people arrested in Pakistan late Tuesday, is accused of introducing Shahzad to militants gave him lessons in handling explosives.
According to security sources Rehan was arrested in the Pakistani southern port city of Karachi.
He is suspected of taking Shahzad, a son of retired senior air force officer, to the northern city of Peshawar and then to North Waziristan, which is now a Taliban stronghold.
Officials believe 30-year-old Shahzad, a Karachi-born Pushtun, had no relationship with any militant organisation, until Rehan put him in contact with Qari Hussain Mehsud, the chief of the Pakistani Taliban’s suicide squad and explosives expert.
Hussain is believed to have provided training to Shahzad on improvised explosives on a recent visit to Pakistan.”
http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/202325.php
May 05, 2010
“Ghosts of Fort Hood Haunting Time Square”
SNIPPET: “He had ammo in the SUV. He had a gun in his trunk at the airport. Again, but for the grace of God Faisal Shahzad would have had the same success as Nidal Hasan.
But that’s not the only thing the failed Times Square bomber had in common with the successful mass murderer at Fort Hood:
A few weeks after he moved in, Mr. LaMonica said, investigators from the national Joint Terrorism Task Force interviewed him, asking for details of the transaction and for information about Mr. Shahzad.”
By Rusty Shackleford, Ph.D. at May 5, 2010 05:06 PM
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31727_162-20004263-10391695.html
May 5, 2010 5:22 PM
“Faisal Shahzad on Homeland Security List Since 1999”
Posted by CBS News Investigates
SNIPPET: “Sources tell CBS News that would-be Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad appeared on a Department of Homeland Security travel lookout list - Traveler Enforcement Compliance System (TECS) - between 1999 and 2008 because he brought approximately $80,000 cash or cash instruments into the United States.”
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2010/05/us_sees_pakistani_ta.php
“US sees Pakistani Taliban involvement in Times Square attack after downplaying links”
By BILL ROGGIO
May 6, 2010 12:59 AM
SNIPPET: “Four days after the failed car bombing attack in New York City’s Times Square, senior officials in the Obama administration have grudgingly begun to accept that the Pakistani Taliban are likely involved in the plot.”
SNIPPET: “Evidence of link to the Pakistani Taliban was available in the first 24 hours
But evidence that the Pakistani Taliban may have played a role in the attack emerged almost immediately after firefighters and police dismantled the crudely-made bomb in Times Square on the evening of May 1. On the morning of May 2, a person who claimed to be from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel notified The Long War Journal that an audiotape of Taliban commander Qari Hussain Mehsud was posted on a YouTube site. The email was titled “Qari Hussain Mehsud from Tehreek e Taliban Pakistan accepts the responsibility of recent Attack on Times Square Newyork USA.”
On the video, Qari Hussain, who is a master bomb maker and trainer of suicide bombers for the Taliban, said the attack was launched to avenge the deaths of top terrorist leaders, punish the US for conducting Predator airstrikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas, and to avenge the arrest and detention of Pakistani scientist Aifa Siddique.”
SNIPPET: “US authorities clearly were aware of the Qari Hussain video, and had the video pulled from YouTube within hours after the The Long War Journal received the email notification of its existence.
On the evening of May 2, the Taliban spokesman sent The Long War Journal another email that pointed to the location of an audio tape and a video tape of Hakeemullah Mehsud, the top commander of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan. The email was titled “Hakeemullah Mehsud is Alive and Healthy and Delivering news about Attacks on USA.” The audio and video tapes were produced in April. On the tapes, Hakeemullah denied the multiple reports of his death and threatened the US with further attacks.
“The time is very near when our fedayeen will attack the American states in their major cities,” Hakeemullah said. “And Inshallah (god willing) we will give extremely painful blows to the fanatic America.””
May 6, 2010
“Times Square Bomb Suspect a ‘Fan’ of Prominent Radical Cleric, Sources Say”
By Catherine Herridge - FOXNews.com
SNIPPET: “Times Square bomb plot suspect Faisal Shahzad is a “fan and follower” of a radical American-born cleric linked to the Fort Hood attack in November and the attempted jet bombing on Christmas Day, sources tell Fox News.
Shahzad is a fan of Anwar al-Awlaki’s CDs, which promote the cleric’s extremist Muslim ideology, sources say, however, there is no known evidence yet that that Shahzad had direct contact with Awlaki, such as through e-mails.”
ADDING to post no. 82:
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=59008
Obama: Failed Attack Underscores Need for Vigilance
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 4, 2010 – President Barack Obama today called the failed weekend terror attack in New York’s Times Square a sobering reminder of the need to remain vigilant against terrorists committed to destroying America’s way of life.
“Around the world and here at home, there are those who would attack our citizens and who would slaughter innocent men, women and children in pursuit of their murderous agenda,” Obama said at the start of his address to the Business Council here.
Terrorists “will stop at nothing to kill and disrupt our way of life,” the president said.
Obama praised citizens’ vigilance in reporting suspicious activity to authorities, and quick-responding state and federal officials who helped avert a potential disaster.
As the FBI questions suspect Faisal Shahzad and authorities continue to investigate the case, the president offered assurance that they have the tools and experience needed to determine if Shahzad has accomplices or ties to any terrorist group.
Justice will be served, Obama said, and critical intelligence that’s gathered through the investigation will help prevent future attacks.
Meanwhile, Obama vowed to do what’s needed to protect the United States from terrorism.
“As Americans and as a nation, we will not be terrorized,” he said. “We will not cower in fear, [and] we will not be intimidated.
“We will be vigilant, we will work together, and we will protect and defend the country we love to ensure a safe and prosperous future for our people,” the president continued. “That’s what I intend to do as the president, and that is what we will do as a nation.”
Pakistani-born Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen, was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport last night as his flight was about to take off for Dubai. He is expected to be formally charged today.
blog:
mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/202335.php
May 06, 2010
“Simple error averted Times Square tragedy”
SNIPPET: “Had Shahzad committed to a little more research...”
SNIPPET: “...we wouldn’t be talking today about his competence as a terrorist. They would still be scraping body parts off of Times Square.”
SNIPPET: “My NYPD sources have been quick to stress that Shahzad had clearly been trained.”
SNIPPET: “These are all standard counter-surveillance measures that show his training.”
By Barbarossa at May 6, 2010 09:26 AM
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