BRAVO ZULU

The keys found in the ignition of the sport utility vehicle that was left to explode in Times Square on Saturday evening did more than just start cars: one opened the front door to Faisal Shahzad’s home.

The young woman in Bridgeport who last month sold Mr. Shahzad the rusting 1993 Nissan Pathfinder prosecutors say he used in the failed attack did not remember his name. But she had his telephone number.

That number was traced back to a prepaid cellular phone purchased by Mr. Shahzad, one that received four calls from Pakistan in the hours before he bought the S.U.V.

It was 53 hours and 20 minutes from the moment the authorities say Mr. Shahzad, undetected, left his failed car bomb in the heart of Manhattan until the moment he was taken off a plane at Kennedy Airport and charged with trying to kill untold numbers of the city’s residents and tourists.

Read the rest here.

Many of us (including your truly) are quick to belittle government incompetence. Sometimes we get so used to it we need to be reminded that YES there are things we need the government to do. And further, there are some very competent and dedicated public servants who do great work for the people who employ them, often at considerable personal risk.

Case in point; the NYPD mounted policeman who after being alerted to a suspicious vehicle raised the alarm, and helped evacuate Times Square. Had the car bomb gone off many people would have owed their lives to his quick thinking and professionalism. And it's quite possible that they would have had to express their gratitude at his wake since he remained on the scene until the bomb squad took over.

And then there are the scores of cops from New York and other jurisdictions along with the FBI's G-Men who through very aggressive good old fashioned police and detective work cracked the case and arrested the perp in 53 hours and 20 minutes. Yea they caught a lot of breaks with evidence. But that is still good police work... damn good.

In the Navy there is a tradition that when a ship does something extraordinary and worthy of recognition the admiral used to hoist the signal flags B and Z with the pennant for the ship to whom the recognition was directed. This strikes me as a good excuse to run up the signal BRAVO ZULU!