ot attempted bombing times square

[SEABREEZE]

If it wasnt for a street vendor who has been selling hand bags for the past 13 yrs in time square, things could of turned out a lot different.

Apparently the vendor noticed the suv running, with no one inside.He notified cops, and who knows how many lives were spared

Who's the culpirts


Your thoughts.

[sc53]

The vendor's picture was in this morning's Wash Post--I felt so grateful to him. Street vendors get no respect. :crap:

[BCS]

Who's the culpirts
Your thoughts.

I'd be looking for someone in Bear-suit

[SEABREEZE]

Thus far reports coming in, the Talaban taking claim

[CNY rider]

Actually things would have been a lot different if this was done by competent terrorists. It wouldn't have mattered what the vendor saw.
The Taliban? I don't think so.
Take a look at some of the results of their attacks over the years; they don't just strap together propane tanks.

[nahtnoj]

I'd be looking for someone in Bear-suit

Are you saying Santa Claus is behind this attempted attack?

[BCS]

i'm saying nothing further--don't want to end up like theo van gogh

[johnnymossville]

Pretty funny how there's some dude watching video of himself taking his shirt off 4,000 times a day in front of the SUV.

[93legendti]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/nyregion/04bomb.html?th&emc=th

Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, early Tuesday in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing, according to people briefed on the investigation.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, one of the people briefed on the development said.

Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport, apparently trying to flee, one of the people said.

[R2D2]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/nyregion/04bomb.html?th&emc=th

Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, early Tuesday in connection with the failed Times Square car bombing, according to people briefed on the investigation.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, one of the people briefed on the development said.

Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport, apparently trying to flee, one of the people said.

Great news!

[gemship]

Great news!


as well as great shame for those of Pakastani origin.

[JohnHemlock]

He apparently remembered to remove the VIN from the most obvious place but didn't know it was also engraved on the axle and under the engine block. I like how he wanted to strike a blow to the Great Satan but made sure to register his vehicle first!

I also liked that he tossed some fireworks in with his bomb. Sounds like a second grader. "Hmmm, some fireworks should go here!"

[Keith A]

as well as great shame for those of Pakastani origin.So are well also shamed for every stupid, evil or wrong thing an American does in another country?

[gemship]

So are well also shamed for every stupid, evil or wrong thing an American does in another country?


Absolutely... it's a profiling thing. Just pointing it out in my humble words. You know ironically I was following the news yesterday in regards to President Ahmadinejad's speech at the U.N. nuclear arms talks and I must say he made excellent points about the USA's history with nuclear arms. Almost makes me a Iranian sympathiser. Actually... I don't know what to think.

[93legendti]

So are well also shamed for every stupid, evil or wrong thing an American does in another country?
That and I thought it (another attempted man made disaster) was a great shame for NY'ers and Americans.

[Keith A]

Absolutely... it's a profiling thing. Just pointing it out in my humble words.Therefore I'm guilty of the sins of the individuals with whatever group I associate with?

[gemship]

Therefore I'm guilty of the sins of the individuals with whatever group I associate with?

Well I imagine there are a lot of Americans of Pakistani descent(good,honest,hard working folk) and the thought crossed their mind that this doesn't look good for them as a whole. I just keep thinking about the southern borders of this country and advocates defending immigration and how easy it would be for terrorist particularly the middle eastern ones as they seem the most motivated to find their way in the country from Mexico. It's not a question of if but when.


FWIW I am a nice person if I met a middle eastern person and so long as they were nice to me I would just lap it up and make a great conversation. If they were hiding a bomb in their clothes I absolutely wouldn't see it coming until it was too late. Just the way I roll, I'm not trained to be suspicious rather more learned ignorance from too much media consumption. That being said any suspicion I may have I would have to constantly maintain in a "on" position. I let my guard down way to easy in the heat of the moment.

[Keith A]

So it's okay then if a driver takes out their road rage on me because the previous cyclist that they encountered did something stupid (maybe even dangerous to them) and really pissed the driver off :confused:

[rugbysecondrow]

Because we can't be ever vigilant, we have to pick our areas of focus, and so we all profile, we all prejudge, we all have biases (however subtle they may be) that we use to help keep us and our family safe. There is nothing wrong with that.

I did it the other day on the airplane. Sweaty and nervous looking guy, sitting in the exit row next to me, pulled out a prayer card before take off with arabic writing...something didn't seem right. Did I think he was up to no good, nope. Did I plan out what I would do if he did try something...you bet. We do the same thing walking alone at night, with people we cross on a dark street, women do it with men on elevators or those who walk close behind them...it happens.

I am glad this vender profiled and sensed that something was not right.

[gemship]

So it's okay then if a driver takes out their road rage on me because the previous cyclist that they encountered did something stupid (maybe even dangerous to them) and really pissed the driver off :confused:


No it's not. Point well made however if you looked just like him and were biking down the same road and he's coming back from where ever then yes in that pissed driver's mind you just may be the that guy. That would be at the wrong place at the wrong time based on profiling and a bit of road rage of course.

[johnnymossville]

If I was that middle aged white guy the media tried to pin this on 4 million times on TV yesterday I might be tempted to cash in on the 15 minutes of fame.

[BCS]

Absolutely... it's a profiling thing.... Almost makes me a Iranian sympathiser.
Are you kidding me or simply trolling??

Might be time to lock this thread down, SoCal

[Pete Serotta]

Details are emerging on how Faisal Shahzad, arrested as the owner of the bomb-laden SUV left Saturday in Times Square, integrated into American life and eventually gained citizenship.

In December 1998 he was granted an F-1 student visa. Immigration officials noted then that there was “no derogatory information” on Mr. Shahzad in any database, a law enforcement official said.

He first attended Southeastern University in Washington, DC, then transferred in 2000 to the University of Bridgeport, Conn., where he received a B.A. in computer science and engineering.

He next appears in April, 2002, when he was granted an H1-B visa for skilled workers; he stayed in the U.S. for three years on that visa and gained an M.B.A. It is not clear what company sponsored the visa, which is used to attract workers with a “specialty occupation,” such as information technology.

Then on October 20, 2008, he reported his marriage to a woman he identified as Huma Asif Mian, an American citizen. He became a naturalized as a U.S. citizen on April 17, 2009.

While law enforcement officials don’t have exhaustive details of his travels after he was naturalized, one trip in particular stands out: he left New York on June 2, 2009, on an Emirates flight to Dubai. He stayed overseas for eight months, returning on February 3, 2010, on another Emirates flight from Dubai.

Mr. Shahzad was arrested late Monday on board an Emirates flight from New York City to Dubai and was heading to Islamabad.

[johnnymossville]

Ordinary alright,..... Maybe he thought the "Training Camp" he attented was for cyclists, to work on his hill climbing or something.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1986885,00.html

[Pete Serotta]

Ordinary alright,..... Maybe he thought the "Training Camp" he attented was for cyclists, to work on his hill climbing or something.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1986885,00.html
:bike:

[93legendti]

Are you kidding me or simply trolling??

Might be time to lock this thread down, SoCal
He must have meant a sympathizer of Iranian citizens and NOT the regime.

http://planet-iran.com/index.php/news/4477

[Ray]

If I was that middle aged white guy the media tried to pin this on 4 million times on TV yesterday I might be tempted to cash in on the 15 minutes of fame.
OK, Johnny, just exactly where WERE you last Saturday night? Can you prove it? Hey, just trying to help you cash in.... :cool:

Seriously, the thing that's becoming clear from this attempt and from the Christmas plane bombing attempt and the Ft. Hood shootings is that the terrorists are figuring out that, with the much higher level of intelligence out there than before 9/11, a big comprehensive operation like 9/11 has gotten MUCH MUCH MUCH more difficult to pull off. And they're starting to try to do what I've expected them to start doing for quite a while now - smaller and more random seeming attacks. Like the kind that happen all over the rest of the globe: blow up a restaurant or a subway, shoot up an airport or a shopping mall or a luxury hotel or an army base, bring down a couple of planes, etc. I think western intelligence agencies have done and will do a very good job of stopping a LOT of these attacks but its inevitable that some will work here, like they've worked in London and Madrid and Tokyo to name a few. And I'm frankly concerned enough about the fragility of our political culture right now that I think just a couple of small successful attacks would have a profound impact on how we conduct civic life in this country. I hope they would make us pull together - I fear they might tear us apart. Unfortunately, I think we'll probably find out - they're not gonna stop trying...

-Ray

[gemship]

"you kidding me"- Well I was sort of kidding but I was also trying to... actually I don't really no what to say except that I agree with Keith A and I fully understand that Americans in other parts of the world are seen rather negatively due to the actions of a few and Americans are certainly profiled as a result. Profiling goes on all the time on all sorts of levels, it's a necessary evil but I don't expect to convince anybody here.

"simply trolling??"- Oh please.... welcome to the discussion and feel free to have at it... seriously don't even get me started with that double standard.

"Might be time to lock this thread down, SoCal"- Probably not a bad idea but then nobody will be able to do that trolling thing, at least not here. Hey at least I didn't start this thread, I read the NYT and I know where I am when I'm here. That's enough

[johnnymossville]

Hey, just because Faisal Shahzad was a Registered Democrat who didn't like Bush doesn't mean all Democrats are also Left Wing Radicals right?

:p

[Mr. Squirrel]

this reminds me of gall mites. that is nuts!

mr. squirrel

[rugbysecondrow]

Hey, just because Faisal Shahzad was a Registered Democrat who didn't like Bush doesn't mean all Democrats are also Left Wing Radicals right?

:p

That is exactly what it means. :)

Edit: just kidding.

[OtayBW]

Good grief. SOS, different day....

[TMB]

Absolutely... it's a profiling thing. Just pointing it out in my humble words. You know ironically I was following the news yesterday in regards to President Ahmadinejad's speech at the U.N. nuclear arms talks and I must say he made excellent points about the USA's history with nuclear arms. Almost makes me a Iranian sympathiser. Actually... I don't know what to think.

????????

Really?

You want to sympathize with the guy that thinks Hitler didn't finish the job?

Tell me you're not serious.


The old saying is true. Those who don't learn from history .........

[SoCalSteve]

I think its time to close this thread as well.

Its going in a direction that none of us want to see it go in.

Now go out and ride your bikes!

Steve