Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

Police averted a “very deadly event” when they discovered an explosive device in a car in the bustling Times Square area of New York City on Saturday night.

Reports said that a local vendor noticed smoke coming out of a parked Nissan Pathfinder sport utility vehicle and alerted police. Police then used a robot from their bomb squad to break through the back window of the SUV and retrieve the items in the vehicle after several hours.

In a statement Michael Bloomberg, New York Mayor, said a suspicious vehicle in Times Square “did indeed contain an explosive device.” He added, “It certainly could have exploded and had a pretty big fire and a decent amount of explosive impact.”

At a press conference Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly was reported as saying the car contained three propane tanks, consumer-grade fireworks, two filled 5-gallon gasoline containers, and two clocks with batteries, electrical wire and other components.

He also noted that a black metal box resembling a gun locker was recovered. There was no positive match to the license plate and police were said to be looking for additional surveillance video. After discovering the “amateurish” bomb, police rapidly cleared the tourist-packed area and dismantled the vehicle, authorities were quoted as saying.

They also said that President Barack Obama had been updated on the situation on Saturday night and had said that the federal government was prepared to provide support. The Department of Homeland Security was also reported to be monitoring developments.

In a statement New York Governor David Paterson praised the “heroic actions” of the New York Police Department and “a single vigilant New Yorker who identified a suspicious vehicle.” He added, "Now the full attention of city, state and federal law enforcement will be turned to bringing the guilty party to justice in this act of terrorism."

Media reports quoted two federal officials as saying that it was too early to tell whether the incident involved Al Qaeda or another international terror group and the national threat level remained at "yellow," or elevated.

Times Square, an iconic spot the heart of New York’s Manhattan and a magnet for tourists and locals alike, has been a target of terrorist plans on earlier occasions too. Investigations into a plot to bomb the subway station in Times Square led to the arrest last September of terror suspect Najibullah Zazi.

Labels: Car bomb, Times Square