Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
CNN
March 6, 2008
The Situation Room (CNN), 5:00 PM
WOLF BLITZER: We're also watching another bombing today, this one in Times Square. Authorities are hunting for a person seen riding a bicycle shortly before a pre-dawn bombing at a military recruiting station right in the heart of Manhattan.
It was all caught on surveillance video. No one was hurt. And New York's mayor says his city will not be intimidated. But the U.S. military is concerned.
Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. He's watching this story for us.
What's been the immediate reaction from the Pentagon -- Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. Army says that this attack has not hampered its recruiting activities in New York. And, of course, coming when it did, at 3:40 in the morning, they were no recruiters there, nor were there any prospective recruits. And they simply moved operations to their Union Square station.
Again, as you said, authorities are looking for that bicyclist who dropped -- who put a bomb down. As bombs go, it wasn't very big -- a small explosive in a military style ammunition container, about the size of a lunchbox.
It appears intended to send some sort of a message, particularly at the hour and the type of explosive. But the Pentagon saying it can't confirm that this was a deliberate anti-military message.
But it's under investigation. There was a small amount of damage to the facility, which will be repaired by the Army Corps of Engineers. And, meanwhile, the Army did send out an e-mail to all of its other 1,600 recruiting stations nationwide, telling them to be extra vigilant -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks very much.
*****
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BLITZER: Getting some new disturbing information on that incident at Times Square early this morning -- a bombing incident. Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
What are you picking up -- Jamie?
MCINTYRE: Well, some very sketchy information at this point, Wolf. But there are initial indications, at least, that this was, in fact, some kind of political act.
And we base that on the fact that a law enforcement official has told CNN that an undetermined number of letters have arrived in offices on Capitol Hill that refer to this incident and, in fact, contain a picture of the recruiting office before the incendiary device or explosive device went off this morning. So they would have been mailed before the attack.
We don't know exactly what the letters say or what they show. We do know that an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police is already underway, trying to track these letters. But, again, the combination of the letters arriving on Capitol Hill that would have been mailed before the attack with a picture of the site before the attack indicates that there's a clear intent here to send some kind of political message -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jamie. Thanks very much.
Jamie will watch this story for us, a very disturbing story.
March 6, 2008
The Situation Room (CNN), 5:00 PM
WOLF BLITZER: We're also watching another bombing today, this one in Times Square. Authorities are hunting for a person seen riding a bicycle shortly before a pre-dawn bombing at a military recruiting station right in the heart of Manhattan.
It was all caught on surveillance video. No one was hurt. And New York's mayor says his city will not be intimidated. But the U.S. military is concerned.
Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre. He's watching this story for us.
What's been the immediate reaction from the Pentagon -- Jamie?
JAMIE MCINTYRE, CNN SR. PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, the U.S. Army says that this attack has not hampered its recruiting activities in New York. And, of course, coming when it did, at 3:40 in the morning, they were no recruiters there, nor were there any prospective recruits. And they simply moved operations to their Union Square station.
Again, as you said, authorities are looking for that bicyclist who dropped -- who put a bomb down. As bombs go, it wasn't very big -- a small explosive in a military style ammunition container, about the size of a lunchbox.
It appears intended to send some sort of a message, particularly at the hour and the type of explosive. But the Pentagon saying it can't confirm that this was a deliberate anti-military message.
But it's under investigation. There was a small amount of damage to the facility, which will be repaired by the Army Corps of Engineers. And, meanwhile, the Army did send out an e-mail to all of its other 1,600 recruiting stations nationwide, telling them to be extra vigilant -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right. Jamie McIntyre, thanks very much.
*****
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BLITZER: Getting some new disturbing information on that incident at Times Square early this morning -- a bombing incident. Let's go to our Pentagon correspondent, Jamie McIntyre.
What are you picking up -- Jamie?
MCINTYRE: Well, some very sketchy information at this point, Wolf. But there are initial indications, at least, that this was, in fact, some kind of political act.
And we base that on the fact that a law enforcement official has told CNN that an undetermined number of letters have arrived in offices on Capitol Hill that refer to this incident and, in fact, contain a picture of the recruiting office before the incendiary device or explosive device went off this morning. So they would have been mailed before the attack.
We don't know exactly what the letters say or what they show. We do know that an investigation by the U.S. Capitol Police is already underway, trying to track these letters. But, again, the combination of the letters arriving on Capitol Hill that would have been mailed before the attack with a picture of the site before the attack indicates that there's a clear intent here to send some kind of political message -- Wolf.
BLITZER: All right, Jamie. Thanks very much.
Jamie will watch this story for us, a very disturbing story.