Congressman Gregory W. Meeks Statementon the Attempted Times Square Car-Bombing Incident

(WASHINGTON, DC)– Congressman Gregory W. Meeks released the following statement today in reaction to the attempted Times Square car bombing incident:

“I join with all New Yorkers and all Americans in extending congratulations to all of the individuals and agencies whose presence of mind, initiative, training, adaptability, and courage combined in a nearly seamless collective effort to capture the would-be Times Square bomber.

I especially commend Lance Orton and Duane Jackson, two street vendors and disabled Vietnam War veterans, who alerted police to an illegally parked vehicle that turned out to be loaded with explosives. Had the bomb been detonated, hundreds of pedestrians could have been injured or killed. Orton and Jackson showed the country that “If you see something, say something” is much more than just a phrase.

I commend the police officers who first responded and whose quick reading of the potentially lethal car bomb set in motion interagency teamwork that led to the capture of Faisal Shahzad in just 53 hours. We should all take pride in the high degree of coordination between the New York Police Department, its bomb squad, the Fire Department, the joint NYPD-FBI counterterrorism task force, and Federal law enforcement, national security, and intelligence agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security and its Transportation Security Administration. I also commend the civilians whose cooperation furnished local and federal authorities with information that aided in identifying, investigating, pursuing, and arresting the terrorist suspect.”