More on the NYC carbomb
It appears it was a Taliban of Pakistan attempt:
A top Pakistani Taliban commander took credit for yesterday’s failed car bomb attack in New York City.
Qari Hussain Mehsud, the top bomb maker for the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, said he takes “fully responsibility for the recent attack in the USA.” Qari Hussain made the claim on an audiotape accompanied by images that was released on a YouTube website that calls itself the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel.
The tape has yet to be verified, but US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal believe it is legitimate. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel on YouTube was created on April 30. Officials believe it was created to announce the Times Square attack, and Qari Hussain’s statement was pre-recorded.
All indications are the tape is legitimate. YouTube has pulled the video and shut down the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan News Channel since this article was published.
As most of you may know, drones have been extremely effective against the leadership of the Taliban in Pakistan. This, apparently, was them trying to strike back:
“This attack is a revenge for the great & valuable martyred leaders of mujahideen,” Qari Hussain said. He listed Baitullah Mehsud, the former leader of the Pakistani Taliban who was killed in a Predator strike in August 2009, and Abu Omar al Baghdadi, the former leader of al Qaeda Islamic State of Iraq who was killed by Iraqi forces in mid-April. And although he was not mentioned, an image of Abu Ayyub al Masri, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was also displayed in the images accompanying the audiotape.
There’s also the obvious and continued linkage with al Qaeda. But the fact that it is a Taliban leader announcing this is significant – it is a change and expansion of the Taliban’s role from a local tribal insurgency to international terrorism.
Qari Hussain called the failed strike a “jaw-breaking blow to Satan USA,”. Mayor Michael Bloomberg called the bomb amateurish. Bloomberg needs to get a clue – bombs don’t have to be “professional” to be effective – they just have to work. The problem, of course, is such nonsense is more likely to challenge terrorists than shame them. Brilliant.
Qari Hussain issued specific reasons for the attack (along with the usual boilerplate):
Qari Hussain also said the failed attack was “revenge for the Global American interference & terrorism in Muslim countries, especially in Pakistan for Lal Masjid operation,” a reference to the July 2008 Pakistani military assault on Islamists holed up in the Red Mosque in Islamabad, as well as Predator strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas and the arrest and detention of Pakistani scientist Aifa Siddique.
He also addressed NATO:
Qari Hussain warned NATO that it must denounce the US and apologize for “the massacres in Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistani tribal areas otherwise be prepared for the worst destruction and devastation in their regions.”
~McQ
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Bloomberg is a rank amateur, yet he’s the mayor.
A bomb must merely work; a mayor need merely pose and run his mouth.
I disagree. I think pointing out that their $#!+ don’t work is quite effective at rubbing their nose in a failure. Recall that in that part of the world honor is held in highest esteem and the worst thing you can do to your fellow is to humiliate him. Bloomy should keep up the derision on this pathetic, failed attempt to cause mayhem.
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