.Army Intelligence Planes Led To Suspect's Arrest
NEW YORK (CBS) ― The arraignment of Times Square terror suspect Faisal Shahzad has been postponed until Tuesday afternoon. Authorities said Shahzad confessed to receiving explosives training in Pakistan and is being held by federal agents in lower Manhattan.
Charges against Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, were contained in a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Shahzad was arrested overnight as he attempted to leave the country on a flight.
The complaint says he confessed to buying an SUV, rigging it with a homemade bomb and driving it Saturday night into Times Square, where he tried to detonate it. It also says he admitted to receiving bomb-making training in Waziristan, Pakistan, but there is no mention of al-Qaida.
Officials said Tuesday that Shahzad, 30, is providing "useful" information in his interrogation. When they detained him, they found a gun in his car and other incriminating evidence.
"It is clear that this was a terrorist act aimed at murdering Americans in one of the busiest places in our country," Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.
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Shahzad, 30, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, has been in custody since shortly after midnight. He was hauled off a plane in the nick of time as it was about to fly to the Middle East. CBS 2 obtained air traffic control recording intended to stop the pilots from taking off. The controller alerts pilots to "immediately" return to the gate.
In the end, it was secret Army intelligence planes that did him in. Armed with his cell phone number, they circled the skies over the New York area, intercepting a call to Emirates Airlines reservations, before scrambling to catch him at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The charges he'll faces for allegedly planting the explosive-laden SUV in Times Square include an act of terrorism transcending national borders; attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction; use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime; and assorted explosive charges.
There were many developments in the fast-paced investigation, but sources told CBS 2 how the operation went down. Spooked by reports that authorities were looking for a Pakistani-American, Shahzad rushed out of his Bridgeport, Conn. Home and headed for the airport. He made the reservations on the way, paying cash for his ticket.
Agents raiding his Bridgeport home found components for the bomb device, including firecrackers and the boxes for the alarm clocks. They also reportedly found a hand-drawn map of potential targets, including the 4, 5, and 6 trains and the Staten Island ferry. There was also evidence of his ties to Pakistan, including a Karachi ID and residency papers.
Pakistan officials have reportedly made arrests in connection with the case. One of the suspects, Tausif Ahmed, is believed to have traveled to American two months ago to meet with Shahzad.
"We are working with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to uncover all possible ties this particular individual has to radical extremism terrorist organizations, both at home and overseas," said FBI Director John Pistole.
In the end, it took officials just 53 hours and 20 minutes to solve the case.
WCBSTV
Charges against Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, were contained in a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. Shahzad was arrested overnight as he attempted to leave the country on a flight.
The complaint says he confessed to buying an SUV, rigging it with a homemade bomb and driving it Saturday night into Times Square, where he tried to detonate it. It also says he admitted to receiving bomb-making training in Waziristan, Pakistan, but there is no mention of al-Qaida.
Officials said Tuesday that Shahzad, 30, is providing "useful" information in his interrogation. When they detained him, they found a gun in his car and other incriminating evidence.
"It is clear that this was a terrorist act aimed at murdering Americans in one of the busiest places in our country," Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.
Wanna Speak Out On This Story? Write On Our Facebook Wall!
Shahzad, 30, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, has been in custody since shortly after midnight. He was hauled off a plane in the nick of time as it was about to fly to the Middle East. CBS 2 obtained air traffic control recording intended to stop the pilots from taking off. The controller alerts pilots to "immediately" return to the gate.
In the end, it was secret Army intelligence planes that did him in. Armed with his cell phone number, they circled the skies over the New York area, intercepting a call to Emirates Airlines reservations, before scrambling to catch him at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The charges he'll faces for allegedly planting the explosive-laden SUV in Times Square include an act of terrorism transcending national borders; attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction; use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime; and assorted explosive charges.
There were many developments in the fast-paced investigation, but sources told CBS 2 how the operation went down. Spooked by reports that authorities were looking for a Pakistani-American, Shahzad rushed out of his Bridgeport, Conn. Home and headed for the airport. He made the reservations on the way, paying cash for his ticket.
Agents raiding his Bridgeport home found components for the bomb device, including firecrackers and the boxes for the alarm clocks. They also reportedly found a hand-drawn map of potential targets, including the 4, 5, and 6 trains and the Staten Island ferry. There was also evidence of his ties to Pakistan, including a Karachi ID and residency papers.
Pakistan officials have reportedly made arrests in connection with the case. One of the suspects, Tausif Ahmed, is believed to have traveled to American two months ago to meet with Shahzad.
"We are working with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to uncover all possible ties this particular individual has to radical extremism terrorist organizations, both at home and overseas," said FBI Director John Pistole.
In the end, it took officials just 53 hours and 20 minutes to solve the case.
WCBSTV
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