Posted on 03/24/2002 10:00:17 AM PST by M. Thatcher
A parked van exploded in Borough Park, Brooklyn, this morning as the owner was getting inside. Police are still investigating, but authorities say there are no early indications it was a terrorist attack.
Police say the vehicle exploded around 11:15 a.m., near the corner of 16th Avenue and 42nd Street in the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood of Borough Park. Witnesses told the Associated Press that the man was thrown from the van onto the street and that it appeared part of his right leg had been blown off.
The victim, Sruli Halberstam, an Hasidic Jewish man in his 40s, was taken to Bellevue Hospital in critical condition.
The block is closed off, and a bomb squad is using a special robot to comb through the wreckage of the blast.
Many residents of the Orthodox neighborhood said they are worried the blast may be an attack related to the violence in the Middle East. However, local Assemblyman Dov Hikind said police told him a car bomb was most likely planted as part of a personal vendetta.
Police are expected to hold a news conference soon to release more information.
Check back with NY1.com for more information as this story develops.
Okay, which is it? "Personal"? Or due to the, as you describe it, "hasidic problem"?
Sheesh.
No, but it was probably the result of a "personal vendetta," which means it's perfectly okay.
This statement is not much of a denial. There are no early indications one way or the other, aside from the fact that this man's van blew up as soon as he got in. Other than that it was a perfectly routine morning!
But if Dov Hikind is not short-stroking this thing, there must not be much to go on here. He would be the first to say it was a terrorist attack if there were any reason at all to think so.
However, local Assemblyman Dov Hikind said police told him a car bomb was most likely planted as part of a personal vendetta. In line with that theory, another car owned by Halberstam was destroyed five weeks ago to the day by a mysterious fire.
Sounds like this guy runs with a rough crowd. A gangster?
What I'm getting at is this: you seem not to be able to distinguish between the personal and bigotry. In each post, you start with a reasonable statement about the personal, and immediately leap to a general statement revealing your prejudice.
Elsewhere, some threads on some conspiracy theory websites this weekend allege that comm traffic and e-mail traffic amongst some Muslim groups has doubled recently similar to before 9/11 and they also allege that Passover is a target date for attack (specifically Mar25,2002). They further allege that 3 'dirty weapons' are already here and are being driven around the US to be used soon.
I treat this as unsubstantiated garbage, but just curious if anybody else has sensed anything consistent with those allegations?
The report above seems isolated at present.
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