Law enforcement officials are working around the clock to track down suspects in Saturday's attempted car bombing in New York City's Times Square. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says officials have some promising leads but did not share many more details to avoid alerting potential suspects.
The New York Police Department is using forensic science and evidence left in the smoking car to crack the case, as well as surveillance cameras from several locations in Times Square. They are seeking a man who was caught on tape removing his outer shirt and glancing back at the vehicle in question, but analysts say there is a good chance that man was simply shedding a layer of clothing on a warm night and is not connected to the attempted bombing.
While officials are reviewing hours of surveillance tapes for any signs of further evidence, they are also questioning why New York City's numerous security cameras are not monitored around the clock to catch potential suspects in the act.
Details continue to emerge in this case, and new developments are being revealed each day. PBS NewsHour's news blog, The Rundown, will be updated with the most recent information.
Quotes
"We can't talk about all the things that we are doing. That would give an advantage to the people who we are pursuing. And I can assure the American people that this investigation is solid. It's under way." - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder
"I think it's very dangerous to use anonymous sourcing in this kind of thing right now. It's very important for law enforcement to be disciplined, whether it be federal or state, and not, you know, try the case or lay it out." - Bob Hennelly, reporter, WNYC radio
"So, there's no one (to) actually monitor (cameras) on a 24/7 basis. In some ways, it's very analogous to what happened after 9/11. We realized we had invested all that money in technology to do all that signal intercept, if you will, and there it sat, mountains of that information, never analyzed." - Bob Hennelly, reporter, WNYC radio
Warm Up Questions
1. What is terrorism?
2. What do law enforcement officials need to legally arrest a suspect in a case?
Discussion Questions
1. Why are law enforcement officials hesitant to reveal more details about this case to the media? Do you agree with their tactics? Why or why not?
2. What do you think Reporter Bob Hennelly means when he says "let the paper do the talking?"
3. What kinds of details could forensic science reveal in a case like this? Based on what you learned from the video, what do you think law enforcement officials will look at in trying to crack this case?
Additional Resources
Times Square Bomb Suspect Arrested as Details of Plot Unfold
