Explosive device damages Times Square armed forces recruiting station

A suspicious-looking bicyclist was spotted just before an explosion rocked the Times Square military recruitment center - the same scenario as two unsolved embassy bombings, police said.

The bicyclist, reportedly in a grey hooded sweatshirt, was seen around the time of the 3:45 a.m. blast in midtown, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters today.

"Someone was trying to make a statement," a police source said.

The vacant office, the nation's busiest recruiting station, suffered shattered windows and twisted metal. No injuries were reported, although the blast rattled guests in the nearby Marriott Marquis hotel.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, standing alongside Kelly, said the attack "insults every one of our brave men and women in uniform stationed around the world."

The mention of a bicyclist raised possible links to a May 2005 bombing at the British Consulate and an Oct. 26 explosion at the Mexican Consulate.

In both cases, police said, the suspect was possibly riding a bicycle when hollowed-out grenades - filled with black powder and a fuse - were tossed into the consulates.

No arrests were made in those attacks. Authorities said it was too early to connect the Times Square explosion with those incidents.

There was no word on the type of device used in the attack on the recruiting station parked on a traffic island at W. 43rd St.

"I heard a pop," said George Wendt, 44, a deliveryman sitting behind the wheel of a truck a few feet from the explosion site. "All I saw was a puff of smoke."

Police blocked nearby intersections for about two hours, hovered overhead in helicopters and used bomb-sniffing dogs to search for the suspect.

Subway service to and from Times Square was also suspended, but was resumed.

The morning explosion rattled workers in the area.

"It sounded like a blockbuster M-80 grenade, a small stick of dynamite," said Jason Gabriel, a 27-year-old security officer at 1500 Broadway, opposite the recruiting station.

"I'm concerned about my safety," Gabriel said. "We're right here at 42nd Street in Manhattan. Everything happens here; this is basically the target."

By El Polo on Mar 6, 2008, 10:12 in Off Topic.

El Polo says on Mar 6, 2008, 10:13:

For those that are not familiar where this took place, there is a police station right across the street looking directly at the recruiting station!!!

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msaucey says on Mar 6, 2008, 10:24:

Nice.... Just what we need....

Any other NYorkers with input.... MaFe, Morph....???

The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis

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scotty says on Mar 6, 2008, 18:38:

looks like we have some home grown terrorist. any video of this guy or witnesses?

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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morphus says on Mar 7, 2008, 04:32:

Detectives are gathering and reviewing surveillance video from all the buildings in the area.

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Robert Jorge says on Mar 12, 2008, 02:19:

If the charge in the grenades was black powder - the device was pretty benign -relatively speaking. You would have to be holding it or sitting on it to be killed. Or just really unlucky.

Luckily, this dickhead bomber either is too stupid to learn how to make and use high explosives, or he doesn't wan't to really hurt anybody. My gut tells me he doesn't really want to hurt anybody.

The recipe for simple ammonium nitrate explosive is scary simple, and it is as, or more, powerful than tnt .... in the ballpark of plastic explosive. This bomber could mix up a batch of A.N., fill his dime store inert grenade with it, and use a firecracker for a detonator. That would hurt most people within 30 feet. This wierdo is probably some grad student who wants to make a political statement, get attention in his own mind, but doesn't really want to harm anybody.

--"I believe in making the world safe for our children. But not for our children's children, because I don't think that children should be having sex." - Jack Handy

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El Polo says on Mar 12, 2008, 10:51:

Sounds about right RJ, it was kind of a weak blast it didnt do much than char the metal doors at the recruiting station. He also detonated the grenade in the early morning hours, around 3:30 am, when the recruiting station was closed and about 4 hours before morning rush hour. Anyway this dickhead is a obviously a load of stupid with a hint of brave, (im pretty sure in his own mind he leaning more toward the brave than stupid side) I just wonder how he got away on bike with a police station half a block away.

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