NY confirm failed car bomb

[SwineHunter]

May 2, 2010
NY confirm failed car bomb

<!--background story, collapse if none--> Obama praises quick action in NY

WASHINGTON - US President Barack Obama commended the 'quick action' by New York police in dealing with an apparent failed car bomb that prompted an evacuation of New York's Times Square on Saturday night, the White House said. A statement issued by the White House said the New York Police Department had done 'excellent work' in responding to the incident.

'The president commended the quick action by the NYPD and asked John Brennan (the president's top counter-terrorismadviser) to communicate to NYPD that the federal government is prepared to provide support. John Brennan, working with the NYPD and others, will continue to keep the president up to date on the investigation,' the White House statement said.

The New York Police Department said the incident that caused Times Square to be evacuated was what appeared to be a car bomb, which was being dismantled by officers on the scene. -- PHOTO: AFP

<!-- story content : start --> NEW YORK - AN apparent failed car bomb in a vehicle that was smoking and emitted a small 'flash' caused police to evacuate New York's Times Square as bomb specialists worked to dismantle the device on Saturday night, Broadway's busiest night. 'This appears to be a car bomb that the bomb squad is in the process of dismantling,' New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said. 'We do not know the motive.'

Browne said an NYPD mounted policeman spotted a box smoking in the back of the Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle and that the popular tourist destination in the heart of Manhattan's Midtown was evacuated shortly after that. A police source who asked not to be named said the device was a car bomb and it included three tanks of propane and two canisters of gasoline. He said police had not fully cleared the Pathfinder. He would not say whether the incident was being treated as an act of terrorism.

New York authorities have remained on high alert for another attack since the Sept 11, 2001 attacks in which hijacked airliners toppled the World Trade Center's twin towers. Last year, police said they thwarted a plot to bomb the New York subway system and arrested a number of suspects in a case that has led to some guilty pleas. A New York Fire Department officer told Reuters the vehicle was found to contain explosives, gasoline, propane and burnt wires and was being treated as a 'failed device'.

The officer, who did not give his name because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said a man was seen fleeing the car and that police had protectively evacuated several blocks in case there were other devices. In Washington, FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the Joint Terrorism Task Force has responded to the incident along with the NYPD. A US official, who asked not to be identified by name, said the Department of Homeland Security was aware of the situation and was monitoring developments, but declined to comment further. The official said the NYPD was in charge of the investigation. -- REUTERS

 

[SwineHunter]

May 2, 2010
NY Times Square evacuated

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Police evacuated New York's Times Square on Saturday night after a dark-coloured sports utility vehicle was found to be smoking and a small 'flash' was observed by firefighters on the scene. -- PHOTO: AFP

NEW YORK - POLICE evacuated New York's Times Square on Saturday night after a dark-coloured sports utility vehicle was found to be smoking and a small 'flash' was observed by firefighters on the scene. Officers at the scene said the evacuation order stemmed from an 'emergency investigation' and dozens of officers blocked access to the busy central Manhattan square, which is popular with tourists and theatre-goers..

New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne said a vehicle had been left in Times Square, with smoke seen coming from it. There was an unconfirmed report that someone was seen running from the car, Browne said. A bomb squad responded and a small fire was extinguished, he said.
'We're just trying to determine if it was anything other than a car fire,' said Browne. 'We don't know yet if it's anything more than that.' A New York City firefighter who said he arrived early on the scene described the vehicle as a dark-coloured SUV, and said it was parked at the corner of 45th Street and Seventh Avenue.

He confirmed the vehicle was smoking and also said he saw 'a flash' from the back of the SUV. The firefighter said a 'mini-explosion' occurred between 6 pm and 6.30 pm (6-6.30am Sunday, Singapore time). 'The SUV was smoking. There was a flash and we put two and two together' and an evacuation was ordered, he said. Other emergency personnel on the scene called the incident a 'car fire'.

The firefighter said the bomb squad remained at the scene as of 9 pm, including a firefighter in a bomb suit. A robot was being used to investigate the suspicious SUV. Reuters reporters on the scene said they heard an explosion from the area of the SUV around 9.15 pm. Two fire trucks were also at the scene, prepared to douse the vehicle with water if needed, the firefighter said. The square itself was mostly evacuated by 8 pm. -- REUTERS

 

[Shin Orochi]

Hunt for Times Sq car bomber


May 3, 2010
Hunt for Times Sq car bomber

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New York's security services had a wealth of evidence to work from, starting with the green Nissan Pathfinder found packed with propane gas canisters, gasoline, fireworks, wires and two clocks. -- PHOTO: AP

NEW YORK - US INVESTIGATORS combed evidence Sunday for clues to the perpetrator who mounted what the White House called an 'extremely serious' car bombing attempt in New York's packed Times Square. Officials remained silent on who they thought was behind the attempted bombing late Saturday. An Internet video purportedly from Pakistani Taliban group Tarik-e-Taliban claimed responsibility, the US monitoring service SITE said. New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly however told reporters Sunday that there was no evidence to support the claim.

Posted on YouTube, the video said the attempted bombing was to avenge the recent killing of two top Al-Qaeda leaders in Iraq and US drone strikes in Pakistan, SITE said. New York's security services had a wealth of evidence to work from, starting with the green Nissan Pathfinder found packed with propane gas canisters, gasoline, fireworks, wires and two clocks. Licence plates on the car were registered to a different vehicle, police said, while identification marks on the Nissan had been erased. -- AFP

 

[Ginchiyo Tachibana]

NY bomb car owner found


May 4, 2010
NY bomb car owner found

NEW YORK - A LAW enforcement official says the registered owner of an SUV used in a botched bombing in Times Square told investigators he sold it for cash three weeks ago. The official tells The Associated Press that the Connecticut owner questioned Sunday about what happened to the SUV says he sold the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder to a stranger. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to the AP on Monday because the investigation is at a sensitive stage. Investigators interviewed the last owner on record of the vehicle in a probe of a failed bombing that cleared several streets around Times Square of thousands of tourists on a busy Saturday night.

Officials say the owner, whose name has not been released, is not considered a suspect. Police said the crude gasoline-and-propane bomb discovered on Saturday at Times Square could have produced 'a significant fireball' and sprayed shrapnel and metal parts with enough force to kill pedestrians and knock out windows. The SUV was parked on one of America's busiest streets, lined with Broadway theatres and restaurants and full of people out on a Saturday night. The area bounced back quickly and had returned to its normal bustle on a rainy Monday morning. -- AP

 

[M.Bison]

Suspect arrested in N.Y. bomb case


Suspect arrested in N.Y. bomb case
Official: Suspect in custody in NY car bomb attack

<cite class="caption">
AFP/NYPD/Ho – Video grab from an NYPD surveillance camera shows a middle-aged white man near a car bomb in Times Square … </cite>

<cite class="vcard">By TOM HAYS and COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writers Tom Hays And Colleen Long, Associated Press Writers </cite> <!-- end #main-media --> – <abbr class="recenttimedate" title="2010-05-03T22:13:45-0700">11 mins ago

</abbr> NEW YORK – A suspect in last weekend's failed car bomb attack on Times Square was taken into custody late Monday while trying to leave the country, a law enforcement official said. <!-- end .byline -->The suspect, a Pakistani, was identified at midnight Monday at John F. Kennedy International Airport and was stopped, said the official, who spoke to The Associated Press early Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation. The suspect was identified as Faisal Shahzad, but his hometown wasn't disclosed. He was being held in New York.

Law enforcement officials said he recently returned from a trip to Pakistan and bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder used in the failed car bomb three weeks ago and paid cash. The officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the case. The SUV was rigged with a crude propane-and-gasoline bomb. It had cheap-looking alarm clocks connected to a 16-ounce can filled with fireworks. Police said the bomb could have produced "a significant fireball" and sprayed shrapnel with enough force to kill pedestrians and knock out windows. The SUV was parked on a street lined with Broadway theaters and restaurants and full of people out on a Saturday night.

The SUV was captured on video crossing an intersection at 6:28 p.m. Saturday. A vendor pointed out the Pathfinder to an officer about two minutes later. Times Square, clogged with tourists on a warm evening, was shut down for 10 hours. No one was hurt. New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne confirmed Monday that investigators had spoken to the SUV's registered owner. The vehicle identification number had been removed from Pathfinder's dashboard, but it was stamped on the engine and axle, and investigators used it to find the owner of record. "The discovery of the VIN on the engine block was pivotal in that it led to the identifying the registered owner," Browne said. "It continues to pay dividends."

Investigators tracked the license plates to a used auto parts shop in Stratford, Conn., where they discovered the plates were connected to a different vehicle. They also spoke to the owner of an auto sales shop in nearby Bridgeport because a sticker on the Pathfinder indicated the SUV had been sold by his dealership. Owner Tom Manis said there was no match between the identification number the officers showed him and any vehicle he sold.

 

[M.Bison]

 

[M.Bison]

Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah

 

[M.Bison]

Pakistani-American wanted


May 4, 2010

NEW YORK CAR BOMB
Pakistani-American wanted

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An image from a video released by the Pakistani Taleban who appear to claim responsibility for the attempted car bombing in New York. US investigators want to arrest a Pakistani-American man they have identified as the buyer of the vehicle used in a failed car bombing in New York's Times Square, the New York Times reported on Monday. -- PHOTO: AP
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NEW YORK - US INVESTIGATORS want to arrest a Pakistani-American man they have identified as the buyer of the vehicle used in a failed car bombing in New York's Times Square, the New York Times reported on Monday. The man recently returned from a trip to Pakistan, the newspaper said, citing people briefed on the investigation. The naturalised US citizen from Pakistan, who lives in neighboring Connecticut, bought the 1993 Nissan sport utility vehicle with cash and no paperwork in the last three weeks, the Times said.

'Investigators who were tracking the man were also exploring whether he or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas,' it said, citing unnamed federal officials. Law enforcement sources told Reuters that Saturday's attempted attack may have involved more than one person and could have international ties. The hunt for the suspects has now been taken over by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, led by the Justice Department. Investigators - who are poring over surveillance camera footage, the Pathfinder and the bomb parts for clues - want to talk to a white man in his 40s captured on video near the vehicle shortly after it was left in Times Square. -- REUTERS

 

[Orochi]

Three arrested in Times Square bomb probe


Three arrested in Times Square bomb probe
Posted: 14 May 2010 0313 hrs
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Smoke fills the air above a fire in a manhole at West 40th Street and Seventh Avenue, just south of Times Square in New York. </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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BROOKLINE, Massachusetts: Federal agents arrested three people suspected of funnelling money to the failed Times Square car bomber during a series of raids on Thursday across the US northeast. US Attorney General Eric Holder said "at least three arrests" had been made in searches across the region and that the suspects were linked to Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani-born US citizen alleged to have planted the May 1 bomb.

"These searches are the product of evidence that has been gathered in the investigation since the attempted Times Square bombing," Holder said. Officials stressed that the arrests were made on immigration charges and did not indicate any new threat. "These individuals have not been charged with any terrorism violations, but are being held for alleged administrative immigration violations," Department of Justice spokesman Dean Boyd told AFP.

However, Holder described the development as a "significant step" in the probe into Shahzad, who was arrested May 3 as he attempted to fly from New York to Dubai. "There is at least a basis to believe that one of the things that they did was to provide him with funds and so we are trying to trace back to see what exactly was the nature of those transactions, what was the purpose of the sharing of that - of those monies," Holder said. Officials were looking into whether those funds could have been funnelled to Shahzad as part of his alleged plot or innocently in a separate transaction.

Officials would not say where the operations took place, but US media cited locations in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, in addition to two raids in Massachusetts. In the Boston suburb of Brookline, police, FBI and immigration officers swarmed over a Mobil gasoline station, an AFP reporter said. Helicopters hovered over the quiet street and police taped off the facility. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were among those present, along with uniformed and plainclothes personnel.

Another raid took place at a home in Watertown, west of Boston. Local resident Vincent Lacerra described dramatic scenes as FBI agents brandishing weapons yelled for his neighbour to surrender. "I heard a loud shout: 'FBI, FBI, get your hands up!' They screamed at the top of their lungs," Lacerra told AFP. "There were 15 to 20 FBI agents wearing bullet proof vests. It looked like they had shotguns. They had long barrels," he said. The suspect emerged with officers, his ankles and wrists cuffed, about 15 minutes later. The FBI then hauled computers, papers and other belongings from the house, Lacerra said.

Authorities have been interrogating Shahzad since his arrest at JFK Airport in New York, where he had boarded a Dubai-bound plane only minutes from receiving clearance for take-off. He is alleged to have constructed a crude bomb discovered inside a parked car in Times Square by a street vendor, who saw smoke and notified police. The discovery forced the evacuation of the popular tourist spot and a massive manhunt that culminated 53 hours later in Shahzad's arrest. He faces five terrorism-related charges, and US authorities say he has been cooperating with investigators during interrogations since his arrest.

The 30-year-old son of a retired Pakistani Air Force officer apparently has not asked for a lawyer. He has yet to appear in court after waiving his right to a speedy arraignment. Holder said that Shahzad was providing "useful information." The attempted attack left residents, visitors and authorities in Times Square jumpy, with several "suspicious packages" that later turned out to be harmless sparking false alarms there. US aviation officials also changed security regulations, shortening the amount of time for airlines to check updated "no-fly" lists, after Shahzad was able to board his flight despite having been added to the list.

Holder said on Thursday that the Pakistani Taliban was "responsible for this attempted attack." The insurgent group had claimed responsibility for Shahzad's alleged bombing attempt, but US officials had initially been skeptical. - AFP/de

 

[Orochi]

Pakistan detainee claims he's bomber accomplice


Pakistan detainee claims he's bomber accomplice
Posted: 14 May 2010 0920 hrs
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Crowds look on after police closed off Times Square in New York. </td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td class="update"></td> </tr> <tr> <td></td> <td>
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WASHINGTON: A Pakistani man detained by that country's government has told interrogators he is an accomplice of the Pakistani-American who planted a bomb in New York's Times Square, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

The paper cited US officials as saying the suspect's arrest had not been previously disclosed, and that he has provided an "independent stream" of evidence linking the Pakistani Taliban to the failed attack and admitted to helping main suspect Faisal Shahzad travel to remote tribal areas for training.

"What they said has been corroborated by other evidence," a senior law enforcement source told the Post, referring to the suspect arrested in Pakistan and to Faisal, who is in US custody. The source did not provide details on the evidence, the daily said.

A US intelligence official told the newspaper that the suspect in Pakistani custody "is believed to have a connection to the TTP," an acronym for the Pakistani Taliban. Attorney General Eric Holder has said there is evidence that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the May 1 plot, in which Shahzad allegedly left a bomb in sport utility vehicle in New York's bustling Times Square.

Federal agents conducted a series of raids Thursday in the US northeast, arresting three people suspected of funneling money to the Shahzad. Revelations that an arrested man linked to the Pakistani Taliban has admitted to helping Shahzad could boost calls for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to blacklist the group as a foreign terrorist organization.

The State Department has already acknowledged it was considering such a designation, which would ban Americans from funding or assisting the group and bar its members from entering the United States.

- AFP/jy