Who Was Behind the Times Square Bomb Scare?

(CBS)  Investigators, chasing both international and domestic leads, are finding some evidence pointing to a possible foreign connection to the car bomb parked near Times Square. And their best information is coming from the recent sale of the SUV involved in the attempted bombing, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

Sources say the last registered owner of the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder sold the SUV on the Internet site Craigslist in the last month for $1,300 dollars in cash - all in one hundred dollar bills. The seller described the buyer only as a young man who was "Hispanic or Middle Eastern looking." The owner did not provide a name.

But, investigators, using the communications surrounding the car sale, are now focusing on that buyer. They won't call him a suspect, but investigators culling through phone records and e-mails have discovered some contacts overseas.

Officials stress they have found no definitive link to al Qaeda or any terrorist group, but the White House today called the attempted attack a clear act of terrorism.

"I think anybody that has the type of material that they had in a car in Times Square, I would say that that was intended to terrorize, absolutely," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

But, sources say the crudely-built device was not fully connected and could not have caused a large-scale explosion. On the floor of the backseat were two clocks with wires running into a 16-ounce can partially filled with black powder and nestled between two 5-gallon cans of gasoline. Behind the backseat were three tanks of propane gas and a large metal box holding eight bags of non-explosive fertilizer and a pressure cooker filled with wires and firecrackers.

Investigators are confident the attack is not part of a wider threat. New York police have searched parked cars in nearly every city block, looking for other bombs.

"We went through all of the places where we thought there might be a target in all five boroughs, we found nothing out of the ordinary," said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, investigators continue to scroll through hours of videotapes captured by Manhattan surveillance cameras. And they are still trying to identify a man seen changing his shirt in an alley about a half block away from the smoking SUV.

Times Square Bomb Plot SUV Recently Sold on Craigslist
NYPD Talks with SUV Owner in Times Square Plot
Possible Bomb Suspect Caught on Tape
Bloomberg on NYC Bomb Scare
Task Force Seeks Car Bomber
After NYC Scare, Pakistan Taliban Vows Attacks
Mayor: Times Square Bomb Not Linked to Al Qaeda
Napolitano: Not All Bomb Attempts May Fail
Times Square Bomb Threat: Ordinary yet Deadly

[heavynne]

We more than likely have lots of terrorists in this country. We let everyone in. The government doesn't care about any other language except Spanish. People from other countries including Mexico can come here and set up their own little towns, put up signs in their language only and make it hard for law enforcement to infiltrate. They can go to any public assistance office (SS, DMV, Welfare, etc.) and get forms in their own language. I think America should enforce English only, take those signs down and if you don't understand the English language well enough to reap benefits, you won't get them. The only way others will respect English only is to be forced to learn it or not be able to get any assistance. I bet they would learn it then.

[rintx]

Mayor Bloomberg and by default Katie Couric, blamed Americans implying Tea Party Protesters (who are protesting the power grab by Obama and the democrats NOT protesting paying taxes- since the protesters tend to be the half of the country ACTUALLY PAYING TAXES).

They arrest a Muslim Pakistani-American fleeing to Dubai as suspect in the bombing. We need an apology. This government continues to label the Americans protesting as "home grown terrorists" when the left rioting in California are the latest example of terrorizing and vandalizing (not a peep about these "home grown terrorists").

CBS, stop labeling and blaming innocent Americans who are only protesting their non-representation by their elected officials.

[aubfmet]

This guy was obviously a little bit crude and not too smart. What happens when someone comes in who is smart and careful..How vulnerable we are.

[username555-2009]

WOW!
There are a lot of terrorists and bad guys out there these days.
Since the government and the Department of Homeland Insecurity are unable to protect us against such attacks (without resorting to stealing our freedoms), I recommend that every US citizen that is able, purchase a handgun and train to use it. It is obvious we must be ready to protect our own families as no one else will.

[brianbwb2011]

Right, are you going to shoot a truck full of explosives?

What a maroon.

[username555-2009]

Yeah, the SUV just magically transported to Times Square all by itself.
Come back when you learn to read, rather than jumping to conclusions, troll.

[bankersvox]

ALERT: Other news outlets detail a Pakistani connection.

[brianbwb2011]

Even you are no more than 6 degrees of separation from a Pakistani.

Weak.

[knowleddge]

If one has learned anything from the latest Census one has learned this: the word "Hispanic," including the political use of the word, does not in any way equate to race or the physical description of individuals. There is no connection between looking Hispanic and looking Middle Eastern. Just because one is a journalist does not mean that one is free to coin a stereotype of the word "Hispanic." The premise in your article is clear: if Hispanic then looks like Middle Eastern. Journalistic integrity requires that you not stereotype in such a way. Latin Americans are as diverse as non Latin Americans, and it is impossible to describe them as looking in a specific way. You don't see anyone messing with the meaning of the word "Jewish" by saying the perpetrator was described as looking "Jewish" or Middle Eastern, so why try this with the word "Hispanic". In addition, journalists don't seem to be messing with the meaning of the word "Anglo" in this country, so why are journalist messing with the word "Hispanic." Both "Anglo" and "Hispanic" mean white European, and both words have a proud history of accomplishments. You don't see "Anglo" America describe criminals as "Anglo" looking so why is CBS using it's journalistic privilege to equate the word "Hispanic" with the way a criminal looks. Learn from "Anglo" America and narrow your description of what a criminal looks like in your reports and stop encouraging denigrating and wrong stereotyping of the meaning of the word "Hispanic." If, despite the Census, CBS's journalist like you continue to misuse the word" Hispanic," then CBS will be no better than the criminals you describe in your story.

[SusanStoHelit]

Sure there is. Dark brown or black hair, a medium brown skin color - that's someone who looks hispanic or middle eastern. And criminals - such as the person they are seeking who was spotted changing shirts in the video - are indeed described as looking 'Anglo' - although usually they'll simply say 'white' to mean the same thing.

[TomColt]

Both terrorists and ordinary criminals can operate freely anywhere in the USA as long as they pay cash. So, as long as this guy's palm was crossed with 13 pieces of paper, he couldn't even tell you the buyer's supposed name or the license number of the car he came in, or a description of the guy who drove him. What? Did he think he was selling to drug dealers?

I hope this guy's memory and powers of observation improve. I think I'd love to assist him.

[brianbwb2011]

The way of the world.

You helped make it so, therefore your complaint rings hollow.