Links discovered between the Pakistani Taliban and Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad raise the possibility that Islamic terrorists may be finding new ways to target the U.S. on its home turf.

The thwarted attack has prompted calls from law enforcement and anti-terrorism officials to ramp up the number of video cameras and other surveillnace tools in New York City and other crowded areas. But it was a combination of alert street vendors, responsive cops, and effective detectives tracking low tech cues - VIN numbers, house keys and a cell phone number - that led to the arrest of Faisal Shahzad before his plane took off for Dubai. The methodology, as privacy watcher Carol Rose wrote, was “more Sam Spade than Jack Bauer.”

Shane Harris covers national security and other issues for Washingtonian Magazine. We spoke with him when his book, The Watchers: The Rise of America’s Surveillance State, came out in February, and called him back today to talk about the pros and cons of stepping up citizen surveillance.

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The Boston Globe: Times Square bombing attempt shows limits of surveillance

NPR: Video A Limited Tool In Times Square Bomb Probe

The Washington Post: Times Square bombing attempt reveals limits of video surveillance

The Nation: UPDATED: Were US Special Forces Involved in the Arrest of Faisal Shahzad?

NPR: Video A Limited Tool In Times Square Bomb Probe

The New York Times: Room for Debate: Times Square, Bombs and Big Crowds

The New York Times Slideshow: Security Tour of Times Square

(Photo by Jaymis via Flickr/CreativeCommons)