That was a close one.
Police and federal agents were still searching last night for suspects in Saturday night’s attempted car bombing in the heart of Times Square — averted when an alert street vendor notified police.
But whether the culprit was an agent of Islamist terrorism or domestic nihilism — or a deranged lone wolf — the events on West 45th Street were a frightening reminder that New York City remains smack in the crosshairs of a whole lot of people nursing murderous grudges.
And it was an equally frightening reminder of what officials have long said: Those fighting terrorism need to be lucky every time; terrorists need be lucky but once.
As they very nearly were Saturday.
Said Mayor Bloomberg, “We avoided what could have been a very deadly event.” Even a crude, amateurish device like the one in that Nissan Pathfinder — containing propane tanks, gasoline, fertilizer and firecrackers — could have caused untold destruction in crowded Times Square on a glorious Saturday night.
Fortunately, the terrorist (terrorists?) — whatever the motive — misfired.
Though the fuses had been set, they did not work. Instead, they ignited part of the car’s interior, causing a small fire — which, thankfully, was seen by street vendor Lance Orton.
Orton quickly called it to the attention of mounted Police Officer Wayne Rhatigan, who distinguished himself in his own right: He and two other officers immediately began cordoning off the area as he called for backup.
In the end, several square blocks of Times Square were shut for up to 10 hours — a difficult and costly decision, but clearly the right one.
Everything proceeded swiftly and calmly. There was no panic, no loss of control. The public cooperated, and cops got to do their jobs.
That’s a tribute to New Yorkers — as well as a likely testament to the fact that such terror scares are becoming a matter of routine in this city.
Still, it’s yet another reminder of the need for constant vigilance — because the terrorist threat, whatever the source, remains ongoing.
Seems New York will be Target No. 1 for the foreseeable future.
Alas.