Times Square Terror Suspect Claims Ties To Global Terrorists

Photograph of Faisal Shahzad at a Phantom Fireworks store in Pennsylvania from the AP/B.J. Alan Company

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."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on May 7, 2010 10:39 AM

Comments [rss]

dadoc

Wannabe trying to get his 15 min.

Maurizio Maranghi

This is the Art of Journalism at work... another newsbyte to feed into the Terrorist Frenzy. All the info and mistakes this guy made, sounds like it was all planned out and intentional. There's too many allegations and "who met with who" to sound like a legit story. I don't know... I don't really buy this story.

-Maurizio Maranghi

Darrell

Apparently the Pakistani Taliban is claiming that he's not with them, but said that they have cells in America ready to strike. Additionally, the release talked about the objectification of the Pashtun people, which is strange because the Taliban usually worked towards Islam, rather than specific ethnic groups.

That being said, what is likely is that the Taliban is now splintered, those who are fighting for islam, and those who are fighting to the Pashtuns. This also confirms some of our worst fears, that there is indeed an intensifying Pashtun separatist movement in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Since Afghanistan's government has virtually no control on the Pashtun areas of Afghanistan, and Pakistan is struggling to maintain a presence in Pashtun regions in their own country, it is likely that an increase in US forces will be required to maintain any sense of stability in both Afghanistan and Pakistan, otherwise the Pashtuns will commence a separatist war on both countries, of which they are likely to win.

jaycjay

"That being said, what is likely is that the Taliban is now splintered"

By all accounts, there's no connection between the "Pakistani Taliban" and the Taliban that operates in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Basically, they just liked the name.

seven

The Islamic terrorist bought the fireworks in Matamoras? Ah irony.

anotherview

Wait till this little snitch(er cooperative person)becomes someone’s little bitch. So far most of the published pictures taken of him he took.

chuzzlewit

now that he's famous - sounds like he's having a blast!

fosiacat

instantrimshot.com

Guest

This guy's being so cooperative that, to me, it sounds like he might just be diverting the 'intelligence' communities' attention away from something else.

SP

Right. Because they're all focusing on him and have dropped everything else they were doing. Don't quit your day job, Sherlock.

Guest

Thanks for the tip, SP. Don't quit whatever you call a job either. For the future, take my comments with a grain (or granary?) of salt. Or if something does happen because they're all focused on this guy, just call me Nostradamus.

Splicer

My opinion of this guy is that he has a chip on he's had both a chip on his shoulder and a little too much ego for a long time. He flew to Pakistan acting like Mr. Terrorist Big Shot, met with some real terrorists who probably knew right away that he was a wannabe buffoon. However, they listen to his brilliant plan and say, "Go ahead". He comes back, puts together his non-working, half-understood device and proceeds to implicate himself with every misstep. After he's caught, he continues his grandiosity by concocting stories about how great he is and all the people he knows.

A narcissist through and through.

Splicer

Since you can't do editing here like you can do on other sites, the first sentence should omit "he has a chip on". Thank you for your patience.

Mr. Shankly

"That is the opposite of what fireworks mean to the people of the United States."

Rednecks blowing shit up on youtube, fair game.

blackwhole

Yeah, we Americans like to celebrate the independence of our nation by blowing up a small part of it. It's like, in the constitution or something.