In New York City, a would-be car bomb was discovered in Times Square by police. Two alert street vendors spotted a suspicious vehicle, who notified the police -- who discovered a Nissan Pathfinder SUV stuffed with three propane tanks, two full five-gallon cans of gasoline, fireworks, alarm clocks, other electronic devices, a box resembling a gun locker, and a few other things. It appears the bomber or bombers tried to set it off, but the device fizzled -- there was a slight explosion inside, but the actual "warhead" didn't go off.
The Obama administration is scrambling for an appropriate response. They can't refer to it in the context of an "overseas contingency operation," as it was in the heart of the Big Apple. It didn't go off, so "man-caused disaster" doesn't apply, either. Expect a brand-new euphemism to use in place of "terrorism" by the end of the day.
Another constraining element is that they have to take into account the political motives of the would-be bombers. If they can find a way to tie the bomb to conservatives, even in the most tentative and tangential way, then they'll loudly tout it as an attempt at domestic terrorism and blame it on Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, and the Tea Party movement. If it's someone with ties to the left, then it'll be strictly a crime and treated accordingly. If it leads to some Muslims, then they'll do linguistic backflips to avoid using "the T-Word" and we can expect days of platitudes of how Islam is a religion of peace.
And if William Ayers fails to have a good alibi, then all bets are off.
My first hunches -- based on the exceptionally slender facts available so far -- are that it was the work of Islamic radicals. A potentially big bomb, in an area that gets a lot of civilian traffic, in the heart of what used to be New York's most decadent area -- it's got quite a few hallmarks of Muslim terrorism.
My fallback theory is liberal/anarchist nutjobs, like I believe were behind the New Orleans beatdown. The evidence implicating them is a bit sketchier -- the vehicle was a foreign-made SUV, and it failed to go off. The radical left hates SUVs, and are notoriously incompetent at these kinds of stunts. I'd be more inclined to suspect them, though, if 1) it was a Toyota SUV, and B) it had been set on Wall Street.
No, the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards Muslim terrorists. They, too, have a strong record of incompetence (notice how there are almost no native-made weapons used in Muslim countries; they rely almost exclusively on Western weaponry and technology). Witness the shoe bomber. Witness the underwear bomber. Witness the failed London car bombs in London and Glasgow over the last year or so.
All in all, it appears we dodged a bullet yet again. And once again, it wasn't our government officials that saved us, but a combination of alert private citizens and inept would-be terrorists.
WInston Churchill apparently once noted that "God watches out for little children, fools, drunks and the United States of America." Looks like Sir Winston's wisdom has been affirmed yet again.
Update: Apparently, the bomb was set fairly close to the headquarters of MTV Networks, the owners of Comedy Central. And Comedy Central recently won the wrath of radical Muslims...
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Comments (16)
The carbomb was also of an ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by anon | May 2, 2010 7:38 AM | Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
The carbomb was also of an Iraqi insurgent design.
It's like Vietnam except the Cong is coming here.
1. Posted by anon | May 2, 2010 7:38 AM |
Score: 5 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 07:38
2. Posted by retired military | May 2, 2010 7:51 AM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
50-50 shot that tea party members will get blamed.
2. Posted by retired military | May 2, 2010 7:51 AM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 07:51
3. Posted by Pretzel Logic | May 2, 2010 7:56 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Youre on a roll JT. Keep it up!
3. Posted by Pretzel Logic | May 2, 2010 7:56 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 07:56
4. Posted by Burt | May 2, 2010 8:30 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Wow! Talk about over-reaction! I was just going to mow the lawn before the barbeque and then have fireworks after. The clocks are to time the steaks with and You won't let me pack around my gun in NYC unless it's in a locker. So I dropped the ash off my cigar...no harm, no foul.
4. Posted by Burt | May 2, 2010 8:30 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 08:30
5. Posted by kevino | May 2, 2010 9:20 AM | Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
I'm sure that if the person responsible for this is a Republican or a Tea Party member, the Obama administration will have no trouble in calling it an act of "Domestic Rightwing Terrorism" and point to the DHS report "Rightwing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment," which mentions "terrorism" many times.
5. Posted by kevino | May 2, 2010 9:20 AM |
Score: 10 (10 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 09:20
6. Posted by Justrand | May 2, 2010 9:20 AM | Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
it's those bleeping Baptists...or maybe the Methodists this time.
Serioulsy, the "legs" of this story will depend upon whether it fits the LSM narrative. If they can tie this in ANY way to Conservatives then this story will be fornt-page above-the-fold for weeks!
But it'll be no-harm-no-foul if those looking to kill a few hundred Amreican are "just":
- Jihadis
- Eco-Terrorists
- Illegal aliens
...then the story will quietly disappear
6. Posted by Justrand | May 2, 2010 9:20 AM |
Score: 9 (9 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 09:20
7. Posted by Tina S | May 2, 2010 9:33 AM | Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
The carbomb was also of an Iraqi insurgent design.
From what I have heard and read the bomb lacks the sophistication of an Iraqi insurgent design.
7. Posted by Tina S | May 2, 2010 9:33 AM |
Score: -4 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 09:33
8. Posted by Maggie Mama | May 2, 2010 9:54 AM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Why would Muslims go after Comedy Central? They caved in and censored their own program by bleeping out the words "the prophet Mohammad."
The threatening website said it was Trey and Matt who would suffer the same fate as Theo Van Gogh ... being stabbed to death.
CT license plates were sent to a dump in Connecticut ... not a real hotbed of Muslim terrorists.
I think this is some whack job ala John Hinckley, Jr., who needs professional help.
8. Posted by Maggie Mama | May 2, 2010 9:54 AM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 09:54
9. Posted by bobdog | May 2, 2010 10:28 AM | Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Memo to Janet Napolitano
Secretary, Department of Homeland Security
Washington
Madame Secretary:
In reference to your call for suggestions for politically sensitive terminology concerning potentially violent domestic security problems, such as this New York incident.
This problem is simply one of linguistic insufficiency, which should generally be eschewed in deference to the limited intellectual and literary skillset endemic with the voting populace.
May I proffer "This Problem Ain't Really Terrorism Yet"? This intentional vulgarism has the the advantage of crudity, which can be quickly assimilated by the little people and the media, it avoids casting any offputting racial, political or religious aspersions, and can be condensed down to a simple, easy to read, easy to pronounce acronym: TPARTY.
I like it. Let's confer on your return from Louisiana.
Bob Dog
First Deputy Undersectretary to the Assistant Public Relations Officer
Northern Illinois District
Department of Homeland Security
9. Posted by bobdog | May 2, 2010 10:28 AM |
Score: 8 (8 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 10:28
10. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | May 2, 2010 11:34 AM | Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
No doubt some Tea Party grandma whose viscious side was finally revealed.
10. Posted by OLDPUPPYMAX | May 2, 2010 11:34 AM |
Score: 6 (6 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 11:34
11. Posted by Matt | May 2, 2010 12:21 PM | Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
I'd go with liberal/nutjob/anarchists. If it was Muslims, they should of been succesful. They've gotten pretty good at car bombs, all over the world by now.
11. Posted by Matt | May 2, 2010 12:21 PM |
Score: 7 (7 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 12:21
12. Posted by 914 | May 2, 2010 12:35 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
If Barry would just give lower Manhattan to the palestinians, things like this wouldn't be happening.
12. Posted by 914 | May 2, 2010 12:35 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 12:35
13. Posted by Eagles Dominion | May 2, 2010 1:08 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Everyone seems to want to ignore the Vietnam Vet Vendor that saw it first and notified Officer Rhatigan and two rookie cops plus helped push back the crowd!
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2010/05/times-square-car-bomb-alert-street-vendor-summoned-police-over-smoking-suv.html
"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."
13. Posted by Eagles Dominion | May 2, 2010 1:08 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 13:08
14. Posted by bobdog | May 2, 2010 1:15 PM | Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Major Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris?
Rick: It's not particularly my beloved Paris.
Heinz: Can you imagine us in London?
Rick: When you get there, ask me!
Major Strasser: How about New York?
Rick: Well there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade.
14. Posted by bobdog | May 2, 2010 1:15 PM |
Score: 4 (4 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 13:15
15. Posted by serfer62 | May 2, 2010 2:03 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Its the Tea Baggers!!!
The proof is right before your eyes
S.U.V.
15. Posted by serfer62 | May 2, 2010 2:03 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 14:03
16. Posted by Drang | May 2, 2010 3:45 PM | Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
The Taliban of Pakistan is claiming responsibility.
16. Posted by Drang | May 2, 2010 3:45 PM |
Score: 3 (3 votes cast)
Posted on May 2, 2010 15:45