Bomber victim of his own stupidity
A BUMBLING would-be jihadi yesterday failed to inflict major damage in New York’s second terror attack in two months.
Former cab driver and Brooklyn-based Bangladeshi national Akayed Ullah’s “low-tech” suicide vest – which he attached with cable ties and velcro – exploded in a subway tunnel about 7.20am on Monday in Manhattan’s busiest commuter hub, but he was the only person seriously injured.
Three passers-by took themselves to hospitals with minor injuries including headaches their ears.
Ullah, 27, is in custody and told police he was inspired by ISIS to attempt the “revenge attack” for Palestinian deaths in Gaza.
New York traffic and transport were snarled for hours but Governor Andrew Cuomo declared that although Manhattan is a prime terror target and a subway attack is “one of our worst nightmares”, the city is unbowed.
“This is New York,” he said. “The reality is we are the target by many who would and ringing in like to make a statement against democracy and against freedom. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbour and that makes us an international target.
“We understand that anyone can go on the internet and download garbage and vileness on how to put together an amateur-level explosive device and that is the reality that we live with.
“The counter reality is that this is New York and we all pitch together and we are a savvy people and we keep our eyes open and that’s what ‘see something, say something’ is all about. And we have the best law enforcement on the globe.”
Six million commuters travel on New York’s subway each day and 3000 heavily armed NYPD and anti-terror police patrol the system each day.
Islamic State has recently called for Christmas attacks in New York and European cities, posting a cartoon of Santa Claus beside dynamite overlooking Times Square.
Ullah’s crude homemade bomb was partially detonated as he walked east towards Times Square from the Port Authority Bus Terminal, through which 232,000 passengers move each day.
Sources told NBC he was prompted to set off his bomb earlier than planned when he saw a Christmas poster in the pedestrian tunnel.
“It was not a sophisticated device, it was a homemade device,” Mr Cuomo said.
“He did detonate it, but it did not fully have the effect that he was hoping for.
“The explosive chemical did ignite. It was in a pipe, but the pipe itself did not explode.
“So he wound up hurting himself.”