Academic

ARREST MADE IN TIMES SQUARE BOMBING CASE: ?The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was taken into custody at K?

By Glenn Reynolds

ARREST MADE IN TIMES SQUARE BOMBING CASE: “The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport on board an Emirates flight to Dubai, according to the airline and an early-morning statement Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. delivered at the Justice Department in Washington.”

Reader Chris O’Brien emails: “As per Mayor Bloomberg’s prediction, I am just glad they caught Mr. Shazad before he flew back to Pakistan, so we can all learn about the specifics of his policy differences on the healthcare bill. In fact, as we have been giving unsucessful terrorist names (like the She Bomber, Undiebomber, etc. ) recently, I propose we call Mr. Shazad the Healthcare Policy Bomber. Bravo Mayor! You hit it right on the head!”

UPDATE: NSA Database found suspect via disposable cellphone. File this under “would have been Orwellian if it had happened under Bush.”

ANOTHER UPDATE: On Bloomberg, Mark Steyn comments: “Why do public officials so reflexively dissemble and misdirect every time? In the end, all they’re doing is undermining confidence in the integrity of their own institutions. That doesn’t seem a smart move.” Maybe they’re not very smart.

MORE: Bryan Livingston writes: “The larger question is whether the prior Administration would have given up the intel methods and sources information so, um, eagerly to the press. Once upon a time we had this quaint concept called ‘need to know.’” Maybe the cellphone story is a cover, to protect a mole. Or maybe I’m giving them too much credit. . . .

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on May 04, 2010 (boomark / email).