Times Square in lockdown after car bomb threat

[philw]

http://www.news.com.au/world/times-square-in-lockdown-after-car-bomb-threat/story-e6frfkz0-1225861161274

Police spot suspicious car in Times Square
Find failed homemade bomb inside
Terrified witnesses flee smoke from SUV
NEW York's Times Square was shut down after a homemade explosive device in a parked SUV apparently failed to detonate in front of a Broadway theatre, authorities told The New York Post.

A mounted patrol policeman looked inside the smoldering Nissan Pathfinder around 6:30pm (New York time) in front of an entrance to a theatre that houses the hugely popular musical The Lion King.

He called in the bomb squad as the streets were cleared of people.

When squad members searched the SUV, which bore Connecticut license plates that were actually registered to a Ford F-150, they found a "box within a box" that contained two gasoline cans, three propane tanks, electrical wires, black powder and some sort of timing device.

There was a second box in the car, either a gun locker or an ammo box, but police had not yet opened it.

Police were looking at security videos from various cameras in the area that may have captured images of the suspect.



"It looked like something digital. It went off, it just didn’t go off like it was intended to," a law-enforcement source told The Post.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, who were in Washington DC for the White House Correspondents dinner, immediately rushed back to the city. They are expected to address the media soon.

US President Barack Obama was briefed on the situation and commended the "quick action" by the New York police Department, the White House said.

Mr Obama said the Federal Government was prepared to provide support and directed his homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, to keep him up to date on developments.

Witnesses said they saw a man running from the SUV but police couldn’t confirm that. The vehicle was parked at such an angle that investigators believed the driver had parked it in a hurry.

The improvised explosive device certainly could have claimed many lives if it hadn’t failed, sources said.

"It definitely was going to be a substantial fire and explosion," a source said.

Witnesses described the chaotic scene seconds after the smoke started coming from the vehicle.

"Within seconds police were here pushing everyone out of the building and away from the center of Times Square," said Okan Yildiz, 25, who works at the nearby Sunglasses Hut.

"Everybody was running for their lives, they were totally afraid. I saw everybody streaming from out of the building."

"I thought the terrorists finally got to Times Square."

Another panicked witness thought she was going to die.

"I was so scared, I almost forgot how to use my legs," said Chrystal Gottsechalk.

"I kept tripping and falling down, I didn’t think I was going to make it," she said.

Fire Department personnel heard what "sounded like fireworks" going off, and the NYPD’s Bomb Squad and Emergency Service Unit were on the scene, along with FBI agents from the Joint-Terrorist Task Force responded, sources said.

Read more about the failed bomb threat at The New York Post.

[philw]

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/05/01/2010-05-01_times_square_evacuated_after_smoking_vehicle_sparks_emergency_probe.html

Three heroic cops and a quick-thinking street vendor stopped a madman from detonating a car bomb in the heart of Times Square Saturday night, law enforcement officials told the Daily News.

The T-shirt vendor - a Vietnam vet - told Officer Wayne Rhatigan there was smoke coming from a Nissan SUV on the southwest corner of 45th St. and Broadway about 7 p.m., sources said.

Rhatigan approached the car, saw the smoke, and sprang into action.

"I did a lap around the vehicle. The inside was smoking," Rhatigan told the Daily News Saturday night. "I smelled gunpowder and knew it might blow. I thought it might blow any second."

He grabbed two rookie female cops patrolling the area. Together, they pushed hundreds of people away from the scene as they called for backup, he said.

The Fire Department and bomb squad rushed to the scene.

What they found was stunning: a running SUV packed with three propane tanks, two red 5-gallon plastic jugs of gasoline, a clock, electrical components and a canister of gunpowder, police sources said.

"We are very lucky," Mayor Bloomberg said at an early morning press conference at the scene, still wearing a tuxedo and red bow tie. "Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers we avoided what could have been a very deadly event."

The two rookie cops reported seeing a man running away from the scene as they approached the car.

Police spokesman Paul Browne said cops were investigating a report that someone was seen running from the vehicle at some point and are reviewing security videotapes.

"It looks as if the perp was trying to light it up, and was interrupted by the cops, panicked and took off," a law enforcement source said.

"It looked like someone tried to detonate it and we got to it in time," a police source said. "This is a big deal. It has the makings of a real car bomb."

Cops began evacuating the Crossroads of the World as the bomb squad used a robot to get inside the car.

Tourists rushed out of the Marriott Marquis hotel and several Broadway shows.

Seven big shows went dark, including "Billy Elliot" and "The Lion King," which is located directly behind the would-be car bomb.

The curtain at "God of Carnage" and "Red" went up a half hour later than usual, but those shows were not canceled, said spokesman Adrian Bryan-Brown. Restaurants like Sardi's and TGI Friday's were also evacuated, witnesses said.

Police said the blue Pathfinder appeared to be stolen and had Connecticut license plates belonging to another car.

The man seen fumbling with the device vanished into the crowd and had not been found as of early this morning.

Cops closed a huge chunk of Times Square from 43rd St. to 49th Sts. on Seventh Ave. and all of 45th St. from Seventh Ave. to Eighth Ave.

They were pulling video footage from a number of security cameras in the area.

Times Square had been jammed with pedestrians all day.

Celebrities Halle Berry, Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba and thousands of women ran through Times Square in the afternoon for the EIF Revlon Run/Walk, which raises money for research to fight ovarian cancer.

"The death toll could have been enormous," a police source said. "It was a nice day and the Times Square area was completely packed."

Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly were in Washington, D.C., for the White House Correspondents dinner, but rushed back to the city when they learned what was going on.

Police precincts all over New York City were put on high alert and ordered to patrol sensitive areas, officials said.

The Homeland Security Department was aware of the situation, but the NYPD was the lead agency involved in the investigation, sources said.

"The matter is being taken seriously," said Paul Bresson, head of the FBI's public affairs office at bureau headquarters in Washington.

President Obama was notified at 10:45 p.m. of the situation in Times Square and commended the "excellent work by the NYPD," White House officials said.

"The federal government is prepared to provide support," a spokesman said. "\[We\] will continue to keep the President up to date on the investigation."

For his part, Rhatigan, 47, said he still plans to retire this year after 19 years of service.

"Of all the idiots in New York, I find this thing," he said. "I was almost a fireball.

"It's upsetting that someone tried to pull this off."

[philw]

It's ok, they will find out some relation to BHO, maybe the wife's sister's borther's uncles' neighbor had a plumber who was friends with this guy who knew someone who's nephew's room mate in college was a muslim!

[twyacht]

By the reports here, he might have done some car stereo installs in middle school, as his "bird's nest wiring" was shorting out rather than detonating.

[r_w]

By the reports here, he might have done some car stereo installs in middle school, as his "bird's nest wiring" was shorting out rather than detonating.

Being saved by THEIR INEPTITUDE does NOT make me feel better.

I have said it before I was surprised car bombings hadn't happened here already. 

[Sponsor]

[sledgemeister]

Being saved by THEIR INEPTITUDE does NOT make me feel better.

I have said it before I was surprised car bombings hadn't happened here already. 

Wasnt Oklahoma a car/truck bomb?

[Solus]

Being saved by THEIR INEPTITUDE does NOT make me feel better.

I have said it before I was surprised car bombings hadn't happened here already. 

I read that the bombing of the USS Cole was done after several bungled attempts.

The first attempt, they used a boat to small for the explosive load and it swamped and either sunk or had to return to dock.

The second attempt, they got the bigger boat but the pilot fell asleep on board and missed the rendezvous the the explosive delivery at the dock.

I thought there was a third failed attempt, but I cannot recall the details.

In any case, the USS Cole was the ship in port for the final successful attempt.

A failed attempt doesn't mean it will be the last attempt.

[PegLeg45]

Wasnt Oklahoma a car/truck bomb?

Ryder rental truck (IIRC).

I think the first WTC bombing in '93 was a Ryder rental van.

[Pathfinder]

Reports are saying the Nissan Pathfinder (!!!!!) was bought off of Craigslist from a guy in Connecticut. So Ryder gets a pass on this one.

Rest assured this will not be the last attempt, especially with bho showing nothing but bowing and weakness everywhere. Someone (lots of some ones?) have put a great big "Kick Me!!" sign on our back because of that lying usurper.

[twyacht]

Rush was opining today, this has to be linked to the white guy on the video, ergo,.....some Right-Wing Tea Party extremist.....

Even though the Pakistani Taliban, took credit, .....as was posted, I too, am surprised we haven't been hit again.

Remember the media,and the sources this info comes from.