NEW YORK (AP) — Law enforcement agencies say a year after the Times Square bombing attempt that they’re still watching for and worrying about the next terror plot against the city.
Faisal Shahzad (FY’-sul shah-ZAHD’) of Connecticut parked a Nissan Pathfinder containing a crude bomb in the busy tourist area on May 1 last year and walked away. The poorly made device didn’t explode but drew attention when it started smoking.
Experts say that al-Qaida remains a threat but that Shahzad represents a new breed of homegrown terrorist willing to stage strikes that are smaller than Sept. 11 but can still paralyze a city.
Police have expanded programs to monitor sales of potential homemade bomb ingredients. They patrol subways with bomb-sniffing dogs and heavy arms. And they use license-plate readers, cameras and radiation detectors to harden targets against dirty bomb and other attacks.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says Shahzad’s attempt is proof “that we have to be vigilant.”
