Failed Times Square Car Bombing, Another Terror Plot Averted?
Jena McNeill /
Saturday at 6:30 p.m., authorities were alerted that a Nissan Pathfinder was billowing smoke in the middle of Times Square, New York City. Upon investigation, they found the car was rigged with explosives including “three propane tanks, consumer-grade fireworks, two gasoline containers, [and] wires and two clocks.” No one was hurt, and authorities were able to stop a potentially deadly explosion. New York Governor David Paterson has recently stated that this attempted car bombing was in fact “an act of terrorism.”
Both the timing (Saturday night) and location (Times Square) suggest the bomb was intended to do a lot of damage—in fact the gas tanks inside the car were intended magnify the explosion. Fortunately, those in Times Square were safe when several citizens alerted authorities that there was smoke coming from the automobile. This type of “see something, say something” is a vital tool of public safety—lives and property were saved as a result of these reports.
While there is in fact a report from MEMRI of a Taliban leader claiming responsibility for the attack on a website, there is still a significant investigation remaining—it is important to wait and see what law enforcement authorities discover before leading to conclusions on attribution. No city in America is perhaps better able to deal with these types of threats than NYC. And since the bomb did not go off, there will likely be a lot of physical evidence such as fingerprints that will allow for a robust investigation by authorities.