NYC Recruiting Center Bombed

[midlifecrisis]

This is what the liberals like Pelosi and Dean and even Hillary are creating. With all thier anti-war, anti-military propoganda, they are creating a faction of extremists. The actiosn the last few weeks out in Berkley was just the beginning. Its not enough for the dems that our men and women are dying aborad, now they have to die and be afraid at "home" too.

Im sure Code Pink is proud this morning, from the fruit of thier labor.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg: Military Apparent Target of Times Square Blast
Thursday, March 06, 2008

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NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a blast that shook Times Square and disrupted transit Thursday appears to have deliberately targeted the military recruiting center where it went off.

Bloomberg lambasted the perpetrator for apparently going after the armed forces.

"The fact that this appears deliberately directed at the recruiting station insults every one of our brave men and women around the world," the mayor said in a news conference in Times Square on Thursday.

Authorities in New York City are looking for the culprit who set off the rudimentary explosive device in Times Square early Thursday, with one witness describing a hooded man on a bicycle wearing a backpack and acting suspiciously just before the blast at the recruiting station.

New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said an ammunition box was found at the scene.

"This was not a particularly sophisticated device," he said during the Thursday press conference.

Kelly said police were talking to a witness who was in the area shortly before the 3:45 a.m. explosion. The witness described a male bicyclist wearing a hood, dark clothing and a backpack and acting strangely — but said didn't see the man's face, according to Kelly.


Bomb Rocks NYC Recruiting Center Bloomberg said no one has come forward to report seeing a suspect plant a bomb, and no one so far has spoken of witnessing the device going off. Authorities were in the process of reviewing all the security camera footage, according to the mayor.




The blast occurred when an explosive device detonated, causing minor damage to an empty recruiting station in Times Square — an area that is heavily populated with New York City tourists. Hotel guests were shaken by the force in their rooms high above the scene. No one was injured, but the station's glass entryway was shattered.

The Homeland Security department said there was no sign of an "imminent threat" to the United States in the blast, according to Reuters.

The agency also announced Thursday that the FBI would be joining the probe into what caused the explosion.

In October, two small explosive devices were tossed over a fence at the Mexican Consulate on Manhattan's East Side, shattering some windows; police said they believed someone on a bicycle threw the devices. At the time, police said they were investigating whether it was connected to a similar incident at the British consulate on May 5, 2005.

Bloomberg had harsh words for the person or people who planted the explosives.

"Whoever the coward was that committed this disgraceful act on our city will be found and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," he said. "We will not tolerate such attacks. .... People are going about their business. They are not intimidated."

Army Capt. Charlie Jaquillard, who is the commander of Army recruiting in Manhattan, said no one was inside the station at the time — where the Marines, Air Force and Navy also recruit.

"If it is something that's directed toward American troops than it's something that's taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate," he said.

The explosion prompted a huge police response that disrupted transit at the "crossroads of the world."

It left a gaping hole in the front window and shattered a glass door, twisting and blackening the metal frame of the building, which is on a traffic island.

Police said investigators would have to examine the evidence to determine exactly what kind of device was used.

The recruiting center has drawn sporadic protests for many years, including in October 2005, when a group who call themselves the Granny Peace Brigade rallied there against the Iraq war. Eighteen activists, most of them grandmothers in their 80s and 90s, were later acquitted of disorderly conduct.

Police cars and yellow tape initially blocked drivers from entering one of the world's busiest crossroads, though some traffic was allowed through around the start of rush hour.

Witnesses staying at a Marriott hotel four blocks away said they could feel the building shake with the blast.

"I was up on the 44th floor and I could feel it. It was a big bang," said Darla Peck, 25, of Portland, Oregon.

"It shook the building. I thought it could have been thunder, but I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke so I knew it was an explosion," said Terry Leighton, 48, of London, who was staying on the 21st floor of the Marriot.

Members of the police department's bomb squad and fire officials gathered outside the station in the early morning darkness, and police cars and yellow tape blocked drivers — most of them behind the wheels of taxicabs — from entering one of the world's busiest crossroads.

Though subway cars passed through the Times Square station without stopping in the early hours of the investigation, normal service was soon restored, with some delays.

The recruiting station was renovated in 1999 to better fit into the flashy ambiance of Times Square, using neon tubing to give the glass and steel office a patriotic American flag motif. For a half century, the station was the armed forces' busiest recruiting center. It has set national records for enlistment, averaging about 10,000 volunteers a year.

Police said it was too early to say if the blast may have been related to the two other minor explosions in the city.

In October, two small explosive devices were tossed over a fence at the Mexican consulate, shattering three windows but causing no injuries. No threats had been made against the consulate, and no one took responsibility for the explosion, police said.

Aside from the attack on the Mexican consulate, another happened on May 5, 2005, at the British consulate. In that incident, the explosions took place in the early morning hours, when Britons were going to the polls in an election that returned Prime Minister Tony Blair to power.

In both cases, the instruments were fake grenades sometimes sold as novelty items. They were packed with black power and detonated with fuses, but incapable of causing serious harm,

[navalgazer]

I'm not sure if I agree with that.

I've lived in NYC most of my life and bombs and bomb threats have been around that I can remember in the 70's. It's only since the TWC 93 & 01 that these events have really been making the news and used to convey someones point of view about someone or something.

In that particular Marriott in 93 or 94 I can't remember now I was there setting up for a big BMG bash with 200 or so other people in the 4 sub floors of the building and while we were down there there was a bomb scare - we were evacuated and brought back in within 3 hours. You know what people were worried about? Finishing in time for the party.

There are so many possible reasons why someone would want to bomb the recruiting cube but what I do know is that what you are suggesting is not why these events happen.

[midlifecrisis]

Please name for us some of the many reasons someone would want to bomb a recruiting cube?

And further, what Im suggesting is that from our politicians to our press to our tv actors, we are constantly bombarded with anti-military sentiment. If you think that doesnt play into the minds of these whackos I think its you who is naive pal.

[TheSuaveOne]

Originally Posted by navalgazer

There are so many possible reasons why someone would want to bomb the recruiting cube but what I do know is that what you are suggesting is not why these events happen.

I'm sorry, but until they catch the guy, you can't know that.

[Iron God]

That recruiting station always reminded me of a diner or a Stainless steeler trailer home.

I dont even think they recruit people in there.

There is a cowboy there that plays guitar in his underwear

[TheSuaveOne]

Originally Posted by Iron God

That recruiting station always reminded me of a diner or a Stainless steeler trailer home.

I dont even think they recruit people in there.

There is a cowboy there that plays guitar in his underwear

According to a report I heard this morning, it is the busiest recruiting station in the country.

[navalgazer]

Originally Posted by midlifecrisis

Please name for us some of the many reasons someone would want to bomb a recruiting cube?

And further, what Im suggesting is that from our politicians to our press to our tv actors, we are constantly bombarded with anti-military sentiment. If you think that doesnt play into the minds of these whackos I think its you who is naive pal.

Originally Posted by TheSuaveOne

I'm sorry, but until they catch the guy, you can't know that.

1 - someone denied as a recruit
2 - family member of a recruit
3 - random attention seeking act
4 - anti military person(s) (take the mentality of the Starbucks company for example)

I agree with about the anti-military wackos but I don't agree that Pelosi and Dean and even Hillary are creating anything - this is not new behavior - that is what I am trying to express here (and may very well have done it poorly), this has been going on for decades, it's not some Democratic issue.

Being that it's election time, Bush is in the hole and most people are disgruntled by the current state of affairs in Iraq, the government and the dismal future with the poor choices we have to elect from this event made the news just to get people further riled up.

Think about it.

The Police station and the Recruiting station are kiosks in plain site in times square and times square is covered with cameras. This was either a really botched job in trying to make a point or it was some idiot with a hard on for a single person or a group of people or worse a bad prank.

I'm not trying the lesson what happened I trying to tell you just how often it happens how it is not reported. Who would visit NYC if you were afraid to be blown up while visiting typical tourist sites?

One more thought, if someone went into the recruiting center under the guise of being recruited and brought a bomb in with them during the late morning and early afternoon on a weekday (opposed to the wee hours of the morning when the city is at its most quite) and then set it off - I would have a different tune.

[Kabeetz]

Let's wait unil we hear more. My bet is on an angry latin or asian delivery guy who didn't get a good tip. These are the only people with the balls to ride bicycles in that area of manhattan

Certainly when they blew up the whole damn Oklahoma City Federal Building you, MLC, weren't on a rant about how right wing politicians have bred such extremism, right? No, no, never that. Three cheers for double standards and finger pointing.

[11Hungrybb]

Confederate Yankee: Homegrown IED Targets Manhattan Military Recruiting Station

[jpt]

Originally Posted by Kabeetz

Let's wait unil we hear more. My bet is on an angry latin or asian delivery guy who didn't get a good tip. These are the only people with the balls to ride bicycles in that area of manhattan

Certainly when they blew up the whole damn Oklahoma City Federal Building you, MLC, weren't on a rant about how right wing politicians have bred such extremism, right? No, no, never that. Three cheers for double standards and finger pointing.

kab- i know you live in nyc...don't you feel like we have gotten so complacent with these types of things?? i know i don't even think twice about riding the subways or even think suspect thoughts of an arab carrying a backpack anymore. security for the PATH trains and subways are a joke...

[Kabeetz]

Originally Posted by jpt

kab- i know you live in nyc...don't you feel like we have gotten so complacent with these types of things?? i know i don't even think twice about riding the subways or even think suspect thoughts of an arab carrying a backpack anymore. security for the PATH trains and subways are a joke...

I agree bro... there's just too many people of too many colors to care. Everybody walks most everywhere so most everybody carries a backpack or briefcase and there is a significant representation of every race/color/religion.

But you spend your whole life suspicious of if the guy next to you might be up to good, you'll be missing out on a whole lot of what life has to offer.

I dunno anymore.

I'm glad NYC has a solid mayor and police force that keep things in line most of the time.

[get456]

I've said it before and I will say it again...we have no control over this kind of thing... If someone wants to do it badly enough they will, plain and simple... This is exactly why I am so opposed to things like the Patriot Act, it is a false sense of security that does nothing for safety, it only erodes the freedoms we were guaranteed in the constitution..

[TheSuaveOne]

Originally Posted by Kabeetz

Let's wait unil we hear more. My bet is on an angry latin or asian delivery guy who didn't get a good tip. These are the only people with the balls to ride bicycles in that area of manhattan

Certainly when they blew up the whole damn Oklahoma City Federal Building you, MLC, weren't on a rant about how right wing politicians have bred such extremism, right? No, no, never that. Three cheers for double standards and finger pointing.

Actually, it was the Clinton administration, Janet Reno specifically that was the primary discourse from that nutcase. But you are correct in the fact that we need to wait before throwing bombs. Excuse the pun.

[BIGBUCK$]

o god its sooooo over exagerated. my friend lives less than a block away and i live about 10 blocks away. dont believe everything you read.

[navalgazer]

Originally Posted by Kabeetz

Let's wait unil we hear more. My bet is on an angry latin or asian delivery guy who didn't get a good tip. These are the only people with the balls to ride bicycles in that area of manhattan

Certainly when they blew up the whole damn Oklahoma City Federal Building you, MLC, weren't on a rant about how right wing politicians have bred such extremism, right? No, no, never that. Three cheers for double standards and finger pointing.