The only thing that kept tens of thousands of people from dying Monday morning in what has become merely the latest terrorist attack in New York City is that the ISIS-inspired terrorist was as incompetent as his bomb-maker.

According to authorities, the suspect — 27-year-old Bangladeshi national Akayed Ullah — prematurely set off what has been described as an “effectively low-tech” pipe bomb inside the Port Authority’s bus terminal located underneath Midtown Manhattan. As a result, only three people were injured, though none seriously. As for Ullah, he suffered burns and abdominal wounds when the bomb went off.

“Thank God the perpetrator did not achieve his ultimate goals,” New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said after the attack.

As reported by Fox News, the inability of Ullah and anyone who may have helped him to construct a better device was evident:

Ullah strapped the crude pipe bomb to his body with Velcro and zip ties. The suspect allegedly packed the 5-inch metal pipe bomb and battery pack into the right side of his jacket, but the device exploded earlier than intended, law enforcement sources told The New York Post. The suspect told police he made the bomb at the electrical company where he works…

Now, imagine if this device was much larger, more sophisticated and detonated on time — in the crowded Port Authority bus terminal? Thousands would be dead and wounded, no doubt, but perhaps thousands more would have been killed or injured in the ensuing melee to get out of the bus terminal as well.

“This is New York, the reality is that we are a target by many who would like to make a statement against democracy, against freedom,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. And while we can debate the definition of what it “democracy” under one-party rule (Democrats) and “freedom” look like in practice in NYC, the point is taken: The megatropolis, which is the very symbol of American economic power, is a target.

But so is Washington, D.C., the seat of the American government.

So is Philadelphia, where our republic was founded and began.

And so is every other large city up and down the East and West coasts and in the American heartland. They are targets because terrorists seek to sow terror in furtherance of their political objectives. It’s why I continue to believe that what happened in Las Vegas involving shooter Stephen Paddock was, in reality, a terrorist attack. Think about it: We still don’t know why Paddock did what he did; we do know the attack involved a massive number of weapons and a large amount of ammunition; the vantage point (32nd floor of a major hotel) was perfect for sowing death; automatic weapons were used.

But I digress. The point is, as in Vegas — and NYC, and in Miami, and in San Bernardino, and everywhere else ISIS-inspired terrorism has occurred, terrorists have chosen population centers for their attacks.

And as Natural News founder/editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger noted back in 2013, cities are death traps when it comes to disasters, man-made and natural:

As most of the connected world knows by now, 230 people died recently in a Brazilian nightclub “as fire ravaged the building.” Why didn’t those 230 people get out of the burning building? Because all the exits were blocked except one, of course. And bouncers wouldn’t let people leave because they couldn’t determine whether the patrons had yet paid for their drinks.

Why is that tragedy relevant to us? Because he says, every U.S. city is exactly like that Brazilian nightclub. “Most U.S. cities are impossible for the vast majority of the population to evacuate. Roads are too few and population numbers are too high (too dense),” he pointed out.

He’s right, of course.

The NYC bombing on Monday involved an “effectively low-tech” pipe bomb. But what would happen if ISIS hackers destroyed the power grid that covers NYC? Or Washington? Or Philly? Or all of them? Those cities would become inescapable death traps.

If you live in one of these large cities and you can find a way to get out now, you should do it.

Read more of senior correspondent J.D. Heyes’ work at The National Sentinel, where he is the editor.

Sources include:

NaturalNews.com

TheNationalSentinel.com

FoxNews.com