New York City Bombings

Discussion in 'World Events' started by Yazata, Sep 18, 2016.

  1. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    A bomb concealed inside a trash dumpster exploded last night in NYC's trendy Chelsea neighborhood. No fatalities but 29 injured, apparently none of them very seriously.

    A second unexploded bomb was discovered four blocks away. This one was a pressure-cooker bomb with a cell-phone detonator and it was disarmed by a police bomb-squad robot.

    Interestingly, much of the 'news' media is already blasting out the story that there is no foreign terrorism connection, apparently based on remarks by NY Governor Cuomo in which he said that no foreign terrorist connection is known at this time, but noted that investigation is just beginning. The FBI has taken the unexploded bomb and other evidence to their lab at Quantico.

    http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/18/us/new-york-explosion/
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2016
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  3. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    Well, that's not exactly what he said, from your references, "New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the explosion Saturday night "an intentional act." But he told reporters there was no evidence tying it to known terrorism groups." "The governor said there's no evidence of an international terrorism link to Saturday's blast, which shook New York City's Chelsea neighborhood and sent panicked people scrambling for cover."

    "New York blast 'obviously an act of terrorism,' governor says" http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/18/us/new-york-explosion/

    It's far too early to determine the who and why. No one or group has taken responsibility.
    It was obviously an act of terrorism as Governor Cumo has stated. But it's odd, if you want to kill people why would you put the bomb in a dumpster where the blast impact would be reduced by the metal walls of the dumpster? It doesn't make sense. A the perpetrators really just that dumb? They are obviously cowards. They elected to use bombs over guns. So they want to live. Given most of their bombs didn't detonate, they aren't the best or brightest bomb makers and they have left a huge evidence trail behind. I think they are probably hiding in the deepest hole possible. This could be domestic terrorism or international terrorism. My bet is domestic. It's yet another kook or group of kooks. Unfortunately, there is nothing new here. It's the same old crap which has become a way of life.
     
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  5. timojin Valued Senior Member

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    Don't so sure they are so dumb . Din't be so confident . Perhaps they are practising for a larger event . So it is better to be alert then naive .
     
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  7. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    It's been reported they have already identified a prime suspect. These obviously aren't the brightest bulbs on the shelf. They left a lot of evidence. At least half of their bombs failed to detonate. Putting a bomb in a dumpster a really bright move if your intent is to kill people. If you just want to make a big noise, fine.

    But for all the terrorism, 3 events and the only dead person is one of the terrorists. Who said we shouldn't be vigilant? We should always be vigilant. But we shouldn't cower in fear either, nor should we reward them in any way.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2016
  8. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

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    So much for Republican hopes of a terrorist event in order to help The Donald's election prospects, the culprit has been arrested. The swift response and arrest might actually work against The Donald and Republicans.
     
  9. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    The suspected New York City bomber has been captured. He's a resident of Elizabeth New Jersey named Ahmad Khan Rahami. His family runs a deli in that city and they live in the apartment above the store. He's a native of Afghanistan, born in 1988 and a naturalized US citizen.

    The FBI had put out his picture and a message to be on the lookout for him. No doubt they were watching his home too. A local storeowner in Linden NJ saw him sleeping in his store's doorway, recognized him from pictures on TV, and called police. The cops showed up and Rahami shot one of the cops who was saved by his body armor vest. Then a running gun-battle resulted before Rahami was shot in the leg and captured.

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/19/person-interest-to-named-in-nyc-bombing.html

    One of Rahami's friends was interviewed on TV and the friend said that Rahami had gone back to Afghanistan for a visit a while back and returned a totally different guy. Apparently either something radicalized him over there or he went there in hopes of connecting with militants. Pictures show that he's grown one of those Islamic beards.

    The FBI is probably running down the list of his associates as we speak.

    He's suspected of being connected with the NY bombings, a bombing in Seaside Park NJ that injured no one, and a bombing or failed bombing at a train station in Elizabeth NJ. We can be sure that the FBI is swarming over every possibility.

    Apparently Rahami left his fingerprints on unexploded bomb parts, there may have been information tying him to a cellphone he use as a detonator on an unexploded bomb and there were surveillance cameras that caught his image. So the FBI had no trouble narrowing in on him. It sounds to me like he expected to be identified but had hoped that his bombs would be more devastating than they were.
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2016
  10. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    Reporters have spoken to the mother of Rahami's daughter (they don't seem to have been married) who says that Rahami didn't like America, used to say that Afghanistan was much better because there were no homosexuals there, and used to visit Afghanistan frequently. After one of the visits nine years ago he returned with a wife and another child. Rahami never paid child-support and used to tell the daughter that US military were "the bad people". The woman said that Rahimi was "the class clown" in high school but later became "standoffish" towards America. She says she never expected him to "cross the line" though and thinks that he was "brainwashed". She says she han't seen him in two years but still feared that he would take their daughter.

    http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/09/1...hated-america-says-his-daughter-s-mother.html
     
    Last edited: Sep 19, 2016
  11. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    Apparently Rahami's wife (not the woman interviewed in the post above) left the US on a flight destined for her native Pakistan immediately before the bombings. She was intercepted at a stop-off in the United Arab Emirates and is now being questioned there. Rahami's mother left the US for Turkey a couple of weeks ago and has dropped out of sight. Suspicion is that they had foreknowledge about Rahami's plans.

    http://nypost.com/2016/09/20/chelsea-bombing-suspects-wife-left-us-days-before-attack/

    It seems that Rahami spent a year in Pakistan and Afghanistan during 2013-14 and part of that time was spent in Taliban controlled areas. He visited these countries three times on shorter visits since 2014. US security agents interviewed him after some of the visits, but were satisfied they were family visits.

    One good thing: the NY police commissioner says the fact that Rahami was located sleeping in a doorway suggests that he didn't have anywhere else to go, suggesting that he might not have had associates aiding him.

    A mystery: surveillance video shows Rahami leaving a duffel bag that later proved to contain the pressure-cooker bomb that didn't explode. Then two other individuals appear, open the bag and remove the bomb which was in a plastic bag. Were they accomplices? Or were they street-guys just looking to see if there was anything in the bag worth stealing? Police want to talk to them.

    Security officials say that the relative incompetence of Rahami's bombing attempts indicate that while he probably was inspired by people overseas, he doesn't seem to have received training or detailed direction.
     
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2016
  12. cosmictraveler Be kind to yourself always. Valued Senior Member

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    It seems odd to me that no one in his family knew what he was up to. Even though he lives with his family and works at their restaurant. Putting together those materials requires a work area to do so then where did he find a spot that he used to build such devices? Perhaps over time the FBI will find out where he did his work.
     
  13. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    Here's the criminal complaint setting out a preliminary version of the evidence against Mr. Rahimi. Lots of details hitherto unreleased in the press including details about the NY and NJ bombings, the construction of the bombs, the serious injuries the NY bomb inflicted, that bomb's power, where the components were purchased, the investigative process, fingerprints, how the cellphone detonators were linked to him, extremist content regarding jihad and martyrdom linked to his phones on social media, details of his arrest, a video, recorded in Eliazabeth NJ a couple of days before the bombings, showing Rahimi playing around with explosives, lighting fuses and laughing when he hears the bangs. We learn of Rahimi's handwritten journal/notebook found on his person when he was arrested expounding on his prayers for martyrdom, his heeding advice from radicals from abroad to attack infidels where they live, his admiration for Anwar Al-Awlaki, Nidal Hassan (the Ft. Hood shooter) and "brother Osama bin Ladin". The last journal entry is this one: "Inshallah, the sounds of the bombs will be heard in the streets. Gun shots to your police. Death to your OPPRESSION."

    I'd say that his defense lawyer is facing a difficult job.

    https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/file/894396/download
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2016
  14. Yazata Valued Senior Member

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    I'd guess that some of them did. It might be why his wife and mother suddenly left the country.
     

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