As outlined by the New York Police department, if the Times Square bomb hadn’t failed to go off in New York on Saturday night, it likely would have killed numerous individuals. As police force authorities search for a person of interest captured on video, the owner of the SUV packed with explosives has been tracked down. As the investigation and manhunt resulting from the Times Square bomb 2010 continues, a group calling itself the "Pakistani Taliban" chimed in to take credit for the botched bombing.

The Times square bomb and South park Muhammad

The Pathfinder holding the Times Square bomb -- a car that was stolen, not bought with an auto loan -- was parked near the headquarters of Viacom, the parent company of Comedy Central. Comedy Central censored recently an episode of South Park portraying the Prophet Muhammad. The South Park Muhammad episode, and the fact the Times Square bomb was planted near Viacom, is fueling suspicions the attack was related to the controversy surrounding the Comedy Central cartoon program.

The Times Square bomb scare

The Times Square bomb was brought there in a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was captured on surveillance camera Saturday. Saturday night, a street vendor noticed smoke coming from the car and alerted police. The Bomb led to thousands of individuals being evacuated from Times Square. Raymond Kelly, New York Police Commissioner, told CNN that had the bomb exploded, it “would have caused casualties, a significant fireball".

The New York bomb was made from gasoline, firecrackers, analog alarm clocks and propane canisters. Police said the propane found is the propane you would often used for barbecue grills. Legal in some states were the firecrackers, consumer grade M-88.

Times Square bomb plot claimed by Taliban

The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the Times Square bomb plot on an Islamist website, muslim.net. Reuters reports the statement said "The Pakistani Taliban announces its responsibility for the New York attack in revenge for the two leaders al-Baghdadi and al-Muhajir and Muslim martyrs." The muslim.net statement also explained that Qari Hussain Mehsud, who's known as the master mentor of Taliban suicide bombers, accepted responsibility for the New York bomb plot "with excellent pride and utmost bravery." There was no evidence, as outlined by Federal and local officials, to support the Pakistani Taliban’s statement.

New York bombing and Iraq

Investigators were looking at parallels between the New York bombing and other attacks from summer of 2007, according to Fox News. The attacks were at an airport in Glasgow, Scotland, and a London neighborhood of nightclubs and theater. Cars were involved in both attacks which contained propane and gas and also failed to explode. Those attacks supposedly had roots in Iraq.

Blunder with the Times Square bomb

The Pathfinder that has the New York bomb was brought to forensic in Jamaica, Queens where investigators searched for DNA, hairs, fibers, and fingerprints. No fingerprints had been found as of Sunday night, officials told the New York Times. The owner of the Pathfinder was identified through the automobile identification number. Although the thieves tried to strip the VIN number from the dashboard, they failed to recognize it would be stamped in other places like the axle or engine block.

Is this man the times square bomber?

Hundreds of hours of surveillance footage is being studied by the FBI from a lot more than 80 cameras which include images of a man leaving the vicinity of the Pathfinder that was shot by a tourist. The person of interest in the video was seen taking off a shirt and walking away shortly before the car started to smolder.

Sources

Comedy Central

Reuters reports

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6412UP20100502

New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/nyregion/04bomb.html?pagewanted=2&hp

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