By Aaron Miller-
The terrorist who wreaked deadly havoc in New york’s worst terrorist attack since 9/11 is an illegal immigrant.
The evil man, Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov- Uzbekistan native — came to the US legally in 2010 and drove a rented pickup truck onto a busy bike path blocks away from the World Trade Center on Tuesday afternoon. Mangled bicycles littered the streets , leaving an eery atmosphere that captured the calamity that had just occurred to the shock of Americans, before crashing the truck into a school bus and stepped outside brandishing imitation firearms. Twisted Saipov, came out of the truck after striking the school bus wielding what appeared to be two weapons. The weapons turned out to be a paint ball gun and a pellet gun, NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill told reporters during a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
29 year old Saipov was “radicalized domestically” in the U.S, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters on Wednesday morning. “This was an act of terror, and a particularly cowardly act of terror aimed at innocent civilians, aimed at people going about their lives who had no idea what was about to hit them,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
“The evidence shows — and again, it’s only several hours, and the investigation is ongoing — but that after he came to the United States is when he started to become informed about ISIS and radical Islamic tactics,” Cuomo said.
“We have no evidence yet of associations or a continuing plot or associated plots, and our only evidence to date is that this was an isolated incident that he himself performed.”
A police officer, Ryan Nash, shot Saipov in the abdomen, but the suspect survived and underwent surgery Tuesday evening.
If not for the actions of a quick-thinking five-year veteran of the NYPD, 1st Precinct Officer Ryan Nash, the death toll could have been even higher.
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“He is a hero, there is no doubt,” New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told “CBS This Morning” Wednesday.
The truck rammed several people on the path from behind before crashing into a school bus at Chambers Street.
A man came out of the truck after striking the school bus wielding what appeared to be two weapons. The weapons turned out to be a paintball gun and a pellet gun, NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said in a Tuesday afternoon press conference.
Witnesses told the NYPD the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov — an Uzbek national from Tampa, Florida — shouted “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great” in Arabic when he jumped out of the truck.
Police sources told CBS New York Nash joined the department in July 2012 and is a very active cop with more than 50 arrests to his record. It wasn’t immediately clear whether or not he had been released from Bellevue.
“The NYPD did a great job. Fire – FDNY did a great job,” said Cuomo, who also praised federal investigators’ response.
“We have first responders who are heroes. And that’s what you saw yesterday.”
SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Saipov has been linked to social media accounts that contain ISIS-related material, a law enforcement official said Wednesday morning. The official also said Saipov has been somewhat cooperative with FBI and New York police investigators who questioned him in the hospital overnight. Law enforcement agencies say the man was radicalised in America after his arrival, but his illegal status will fuel calls for the American government to clamp down on illegal immigrants from suspect countries. President Trump will see this as giving him more ammunition to pursue his aggressive policies against Muslim countries that have many terrorists, but Uzbekistan has never been on his list of countries that should be clamped down on. Over a dozen other victims are slowly recovering in hospital.
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This terrorist attack was unsophisticated and had no co-ordinated plan. Saipov used no gun, no bombs, and certainly showed no intentions to kill himself, although he should have foreseen the likelihood he would be shot. This lunatic has just ruined Christmas for the families of the victims in this latest tragedy. Life for New yorkers will continue as normal.
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