JMorris
Democratic Socialist
By WILLIAM K. RASHBAUM, MARK MAZZETTI and PETER BAKER
Published: May 4, 2010
Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, shortly before midnight Monday for driving a car bomb into Times Square on Saturday evening in what turned out to be an unsuccessful attack, Justice Department officials announced.
The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, a person briefed on the investigation said.
Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport as he tried to board a flight to Dubai, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in an early morning statement delivered at the Justice Department in Washington. Charges against Mr. Shahzad, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.
Over the course of the day today, we have gathered significant additional evidence that led to tonights arrest, Mr. Holder said. The investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads.
But its clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans, he said.
The authorities began focusing on Mr. Shahzad after they tracked the sport utility vehicle to its previously registered owner in Bridgeport, Conn., who had advertised it for sale on several Web sites. He paid cash, and the sale was handled without any formal paperwork.
The former owner told investigators that it appeared the buyer was of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent, but could not recall his name. It was unclear how agents from the Joint Terrorist Task Force identified Mr. Shahzad. Federal authorities provided few details on Monday night about the arrest, the suspect or the scope of any conspiracy in the failed attack.
The authorities have been exploring whether the man or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas, according to federal officials.
The investigation was shifted on Monday to the control of the international terrorism branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multiagency group led by the Justice Department, according to two federal officials.
As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas, Mr. Holder said.
Officials cautioned that the investigation of possible international contacts did not mean they had established a connection to a known terrorist group..
Its a prominent lead that theyre following, the international association, said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. But theres still a lot of information being gathered.
Mr. Shahzad was set to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to be formally charged, according to a joint statement issued by the office of the Manhattan United States attorney Preet Bharara, the F.B.I. and the New York Police Department.
The statement said Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at the airport after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Securitys U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Monday, prior to the arrest, there was a sweeping response to the attempted attack in the tourist-packed city-within-a-city of Times Square including an increased police presence, vehicle inspections and a touch of panic from veteran New Yorkers when a manhole fire flared five blocks from the scene of the failed bombing. Consolidated Edison blamed faulty wiring for the fire.
The recent sale of the Pathfinder began online. An advertisement that appears to be for the vehicle, which had 141,000 miles on the odometer and was listed for sale at $1,300 on at least two Web sites, emphasized that it was in good condition CLEAN inside and out!! with a recently repaired alternator and a new gas pump, distributor and front tires. It does have some rust as you can see in the picture, the seller allowed on NothingButCars.net, but other than that, it runs great. The other advertisement appeared on Craigslist.
In Bridgeport, the seller refused to answer questions. You cant interview her, said an unidentified man at the womans two-story, white clapboard house. She already talked to the F.B.I.
The police earlier on Monday continued sifting through footage from 82 city cameras mounted from 34th Street to 51st Street between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, and from untold number of business and tourist cameras.
But investigators appeared to have begun to assign less significance to a man who
appeared to be in his 40s who was seen on one video, and it may well be because they were close to arresting the Connecticut man.
The man in the video was seen walking away from the area where the Pathfinder was parked and through Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets. He looked over his shoulder at least twice and pulled off a shirt, revealing a red T-shirt underneath.
The New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said investigators still wanted to speak to that man, but acknowledged that he might not be connected to the failed bombing. Paul J. Browne, the departments top spokesman, said the police had stopped looking for additional video in the area that might have tracked the mans movements.
It may turn out that he was just somebody in the area, but not connected with the car bomb, Mr. Browne said.
Before the arrest occurred, the police had said they might release footage of a man running north on Broadway at the time that a fire broke out in the Pathfinder.
The materials found in the Pathfinder were to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigations laboratory in Quantico, Va., for analysis, the police said.
Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, had said on the Today show that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. Right now, every lead has to be pursued, she said. I caution against premature decisions one way or the other.
U.S. Arrests S.U.V. Owner in Times Square Case - NYTimes.com
Published: May 4, 2010
Federal agents and police detectives arrested a Connecticut man, a naturalized United States citizen from Pakistan, shortly before midnight Monday for driving a car bomb into Times Square on Saturday evening in what turned out to be an unsuccessful attack, Justice Department officials announced.
The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertilizer in the heart of Times Square, a person briefed on the investigation said.
Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at Kennedy Airport as he tried to board a flight to Dubai, U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said in an early morning statement delivered at the Justice Department in Washington. Charges against Mr. Shahzad, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced.
Over the course of the day today, we have gathered significant additional evidence that led to tonights arrest, Mr. Holder said. The investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads.
But its clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans, he said.
The authorities began focusing on Mr. Shahzad after they tracked the sport utility vehicle to its previously registered owner in Bridgeport, Conn., who had advertised it for sale on several Web sites. He paid cash, and the sale was handled without any formal paperwork.
The former owner told investigators that it appeared the buyer was of Middle Eastern or Hispanic descent, but could not recall his name. It was unclear how agents from the Joint Terrorist Task Force identified Mr. Shahzad. Federal authorities provided few details on Monday night about the arrest, the suspect or the scope of any conspiracy in the failed attack.
The authorities have been exploring whether the man or others who might have been involved in the attempted bombing had been in contact with people or groups overseas, according to federal officials.
The investigation was shifted on Monday to the control of the international terrorism branch of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, a multiagency group led by the Justice Department, according to two federal officials.
As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas, Mr. Holder said.
Officials cautioned that the investigation of possible international contacts did not mean they had established a connection to a known terrorist group..
Its a prominent lead that theyre following, the international association, said a senior official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a continuing investigation. But theres still a lot of information being gathered.
Mr. Shahzad was set to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to be formally charged, according to a joint statement issued by the office of the Manhattan United States attorney Preet Bharara, the F.B.I. and the New York Police Department.
The statement said Mr. Shahzad was taken into custody at the airport after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Securitys U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
On Monday, prior to the arrest, there was a sweeping response to the attempted attack in the tourist-packed city-within-a-city of Times Square including an increased police presence, vehicle inspections and a touch of panic from veteran New Yorkers when a manhole fire flared five blocks from the scene of the failed bombing. Consolidated Edison blamed faulty wiring for the fire.
The recent sale of the Pathfinder began online. An advertisement that appears to be for the vehicle, which had 141,000 miles on the odometer and was listed for sale at $1,300 on at least two Web sites, emphasized that it was in good condition CLEAN inside and out!! with a recently repaired alternator and a new gas pump, distributor and front tires. It does have some rust as you can see in the picture, the seller allowed on NothingButCars.net, but other than that, it runs great. The other advertisement appeared on Craigslist.
In Bridgeport, the seller refused to answer questions. You cant interview her, said an unidentified man at the womans two-story, white clapboard house. She already talked to the F.B.I.
The police earlier on Monday continued sifting through footage from 82 city cameras mounted from 34th Street to 51st Street between Avenue of the Americas and Eighth Avenue, and from untold number of business and tourist cameras.
But investigators appeared to have begun to assign less significance to a man who
appeared to be in his 40s who was seen on one video, and it may well be because they were close to arresting the Connecticut man.
The man in the video was seen walking away from the area where the Pathfinder was parked and through Shubert Alley, which runs between 44th and 45th Streets. He looked over his shoulder at least twice and pulled off a shirt, revealing a red T-shirt underneath.
The New York police commissioner, Raymond W. Kelly, said investigators still wanted to speak to that man, but acknowledged that he might not be connected to the failed bombing. Paul J. Browne, the departments top spokesman, said the police had stopped looking for additional video in the area that might have tracked the mans movements.
It may turn out that he was just somebody in the area, but not connected with the car bomb, Mr. Browne said.
Before the arrest occurred, the police had said they might release footage of a man running north on Broadway at the time that a fire broke out in the Pathfinder.
The materials found in the Pathfinder were to be sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigations laboratory in Quantico, Va., for analysis, the police said.
Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, had said on the Today show that it was premature to label any person or group as suspect. Right now, every lead has to be pursued, she said. I caution against premature decisions one way or the other.
U.S. Arrests S.U.V. Owner in Times Square Case - NYTimes.com
