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Times Square Terror Suspect Claims Ties To Global Terrorists
By
Jen Chung
Published May 7, 2010
Modified May 7, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 7, 2010
Modified May 7, 2010
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The Times Square terror suspect has been talking. In fact, the Daily News reports that he's "boasting of his connections to global terrorists, giving authorities a who's-who list of Islamic mad men he's met with, sources said Thursday night.Faisal Shahzad, 30, has waived his right to a lawyer and is chatting so much about his ties to anti-American fanatics that federal investigators are rolling their eyes, sources said. 'Maybe it's true, but none of it has been verified at all,' a U.S. counterterrorism official briefed on the interrogation told the Daily News."
Names he's been dropping: "Radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who exchanged e-mails with Fort Hood, Tex., shooter Nidal Malik Hasan" and "Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who has pledged to strike U.S. cities in revenge for CIA drone attacks - one of which almost killed him." This comes as Phantom Fireworks, the chain where Shahzad apparently bought the M88s he put into the car bomb, released video of him at their Matamoras, PA store: "In the video, Shahzad is seen driving up to the superstore in a black SUV, and then showing identification to enter the store, as is required by Pennsylvania law. He then wanders around the aisles and purchases a basketful of firecrackers." Phantom also issued a statement, "That is the opposite of what fireworks mean to the people of the United States."
Authorities are also looking for the money courier who helped fund Shahzad's alleged plans. It's believed the courier gave Shahzad the cash to buy a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder SUV, which was used for the botched car bomb, and other materials.
The NY Times also has a feature on the surveillance of Shahzad, which apparently lost sight of him on Monday, right as he was headed to JFK Airport to flee the country. One former law enforcement official said, "Surveillance is an art, not a science. People think it is like it is on TV or the movies — the cops set up across from the house, and if the bad guy gets out, they are 50 feet away, they make a U-turn and follow him. That is not real life.” What is like the movies—when Shahzad allegedly told Customs agents who approached him on the Emirates flight to Dubai: "I was expecting you."
Tagged
car bomb
faisal shahzad
fbi
fireworks
surveillance
terror
terrorism
Times Square
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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