Breaking: Taliban Claim Responsibility for Failed New York Attack

Gov. Paterson, NY Commissioner Kelly Call New York Car Bomb An 'Act Of Terrorism'

Update II: "Vehicle would have been cut in half if the bomb had detonated," says NY Commissioner, Raymond Kelly. He said such and explosion would have caused a significant fireball and caused multiple casualties. Calls attempted bombing a "terrorist act" but stops short of claiming that a particular group is responsible and said it could have been an individual. He also said it was too early to say, but said he doesn't believe there's a Taliban link.

Police are on their way to speak to a Pennsylvania man, a tourist in the area yesterday, who says he may have caught a person of interest on tape. Allegedly, it shows a white man in his 40s removing a dark shirt with a red one underneath in an alley and putting the removed shirt in a bag.

The license plate came from Connecticut. Neither the car nor plate was reported stolen, although plate allegedly came from a truck in a junkyard update: now saying vehicle was in a repair shop. They have identified the owner of the Pathfinder.

Device was set between two 5-gallon cans of gas and three propane tanks, 15 lbs each, and fireworks (ignition point). Wires ran from gun case weighing 70-75 lbs. (in a cardboard box) to two timers, which were meant to detonate the fireworks and subsequently the other explosives. Police have not released any knowledge about what is in the gun box. Later, Kelly did mention a substance in the gun box that had the look and feel of fertilizer, although it's not labeled as such.

Also in Pennsylvania, but not believed to be related, a pipe bomb was detonated with the use of a robot in Pittsburgh. The device was inside of a microwave near the end of the Pittsburgh Marathon. About 5,000 people took part in the marathon. No one was hurt and police are viewing tapes in that case also.

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Previous Update: After Feds first denied the "amateur" failed bomb was the act of a terrorist, Govenor Paterson is now calling the New York car bomb an "act of terrorism." The NYPD are reviewing surveillance film and continuing to look for any security cameras that might have caught the SUV and suspects on camera. The FBI is also now working the case.

The SUV had license plates allegedly stolen from a Ford truck that had been abandoned by the owner in a junk yard. Also hampering the identification of the terrorists, is that the SUV had tinted windows. But it has been reported that fingerprints and other evidence had been found.

A t-shirt vendor is being called a hero after alerting a mounted police officer of something that "wasn't right." The vehicle was left running with hazard lights on in a very busy part of the city near theaters and shops.

Just breaking on the newswires is that the Pakistani Taliban are claiming responsibility for the failed attack. A statement said the attack was, "in revenge for the two leaders al-Baghdadi and al-Mahajer and Muslim martyrs."