“Times Scare”
by Brian Thomas
Published: March 11, 2008
Only a few short days after an acknowledged domestic terror organization, the Environmental Liberation Front (E.L.F.), claimed responsibility for acts of arson perpetrated in California, the City of New York has once again become the focal point of resentment and animosity. Interestingly enough, as more information is gathered, the events of this day are taking an unexpected turn.
At 4:25am Thursday, March 6, news alerts started to flood the television media stating that there had been a large explosion in the middle of Times Square almost an hour earlier. The first reports were unclear as to the apparent cause of the explosion, but as reporters began to interview witnesses who were staying at the Marriot and Sheraton Hotels, located near by, the public learned that this incident was a deliberate attack on a military recruiting office.
Security cameras set in Times Square after the attacks on 9/11 filmed a man, dressed in black pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, riding a bicycle on the traffic median where this military recruitment office and a small NYPD booth are located. Soon after the man riding the bicycle disappeared from the camera’s vision. Large clouds of white smoke can be seen engulfing the streets and nearby buildings. The color of the smoke indicates that the perpetrator used a homemade incendiary devise. Remains of the explosive devise were found along with an ammunition box, which is believed to have contained the explosive.
Soon after the video recording was released, the manager of an apartment complex a few blocks away called the police after noticing a “new bicycle” had been left by the entrance of the building. Though the possibility of a coincidence is high, each and every development has to be further investigated.
Attention quickly turned from New York to Capitol Hill and to the offices of several Representatives and Senators. The Associated Press (AP) has obtained an email sent from the office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D. - California) which states the following:
“A few offices on the House side have received a letter today addressed to ‘Members of Congress’ with a picture of a man standing in front of the Times Square recruiting station that was bombed in New York today with the statement ‘We did it.’ He is standing in front of it with his arms spread out and he’s attached his political manifesto.” (AP)
Confirming the information held in this email, Fox News Channel and other media outlets have learned even more details about these letters.
Apparently, the letters are similar to Christmas greeting cards usually sent over the holidays. The message of the letter reportedly says, “Happy New Year: We Did It” and shows a man standing in front of the recruiting center in Times Square. The description of the man is as follows: “thin, white with graying hair, wearing a striped flannel shirt and jeans” (FoxNews.com). What the “political manifesto” mentioned in the senator’s email says is unclear as of now, but one could conclude that it deals with an anti-military bias and the Iraq War.
The disgraceful person who has committed this attack seems to believe that his actions are in correlation with the beliefs of the Democratic Party. Now, I do not accuse or even suggest that any Democratic Party Member is in favor of this or any such attack, I am merely stating that this perpetrator insanely believes that his views are somehow connected to theirs.
My reasoning for this is that the letters sent to Capitol Hill were addressed to only D.N.C. party affiliates and three of the recipients of the letters are members of the “Out of Iraq Caucus.” Whatever the motives, it is clearly a sign that the growing divide in the United States is getting worse and the political brawls over Iraq need to be lessened.
It may also be a sign that Congress has to make a quick decision regarding the wiretapping and anti-terrorism protocols that have been placed in limbo for over a month now. We are lucky that this incident resulted in zero fatalities. But what if its occurrence was due to our lack of ability to track terror groups both domestic and foreign? If that is the case, then we have to move swiftly before the next assault causes injury or death. Remember, it was the simple collaboration of three novice bombers that led to the Oklahoma City bombing. We cannot let that happen again.
—
(email this article or post to social network)
—
