Another day in the Big Apple, another visit from ISIS. Luckily, this one – all the way from Bangladesh (via Brooklyn) – was incompetent. I always get the sulfur/charcoal/saltpeter ratio mixed up. You?
Taxi driver and/or electrical worker and/or homicide enthusiast, Akayed Ullah, arrived at NYC’s main bus terminal early this morning on a mission. Seems his plan was to detonate a homemade bomb in the middle of rush hour. The device had other ideas, detonating prematurely and pitifully. *POOF!*
The explosion happened around 7:20am, in an underground tunnel linking the Port Authority Bus Terminal to Times Square.
The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Akayed Ullah, took the A subway train to Port Authority, got off and was walking east towards Times Square when a ‘low-tech’ explosive attached to his body with Velcro and zip ties partially exploded.
A photo from the scene shows Ullah crumpled up on the ground of the tunnel as police took him into custody. He was then rushed to Bellevue Hospital to be treated for serious burns and cuts to his abdomen and hands. Jack Collins, Sean Gallagher and Anthony Manfredini have been identified as the hero Port Authority Police officers who took Ullah into custody.
Three other people were also injured in the blast for minor injuries like ringing in the ears and headaches. But they were able to talk themselves to local hospitals.
Crafty New Yorkers: talking themselves to the ER: probably on the cellular.
Many speculate he was angered over the recently announced plan to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. This would fit with the general reaction of many in his home country, Hamas, and various American and European liberals. He told police he wanted revenge.
Akayed Ullah, 27, who is from Bangladesh and was living in Brooklyn, told authorities he was trying to exact vengeance for Israeli actions in Gaza — where four Palestinians have been killed amid violent protests and airstrikes since President Trump declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel last week, police sources told CNN.
Of course, per my First Law of Terrorism, Ullah was on someone’s radar before today. At the very least they had to look, glancingly, at him seven years ago when he tagged along behind … whomever from Bangladesh.
The miracles of post-1965 chain migration never cease. Car 54, where are you?
An added benefit was that, once again, Americans were treated to seeing their streets look like some Banana Republic:
Perceived security – after the fact. Daily Mail.
Friends, as terrible as this incident was, there is still time to act. That is, if we have the will. We can (and should) ban “assault-style” pipes. I’ve been a hunter for over 30 years and I can tell you that no sportsman needs a pipe. Your pipe will be useless (and pretty silly) going up against an Abrams tank or a nuclear carrier. Only the military needs “hi-capacity” pipes of this nature. Maybe plumbers…
One can’t help but note that I called for banning pipes almost a year and a half ago. I also called for a ban on buses – no buses, no pipe attack at the bus station!
Better to ban these hateful objects of hate that, say, civic nationalism and terrorists.
PERRIN LOVETT 
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