The Vietnam veteran who spotted an SUV packed with explosives while selling handbags in Times Square last year is now running for Congress. Duane Jackson was one of the street vendors who first noticed the Nissan Pathfinder parked on Broadway by 45th Street with its motor running and smoke coming out of it. He alerted police immediately, and was soon hailed a hero, feted by government officials and even receiving a phone call from President Obama. "Kind of going back to that whole May 1st (2010) incident, as I step back, it kind of changed my perspective of where I am in my life right now," Jackson tells LoHud.com. "This is my time to get involved and I’m going to." more ›

New Jersey police were using a robot to inspect the two gasoline cans with attached wires found in a car close to the busy McCarter Highway, but have determined it's not a threat. Following a call about a suspicious vehicle, police examined the Dodge Omni parked under a railroad overpass. According to the AP, "Newark Police Director Garry McCarthy said police found two gasoline canisters sitting on top of a tool box inside the car. There were wires protruding from the tool box and a battery pack nearby but nothing was connected." (Unlike that Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square on May 1.) McCarthy said, "At this point we know it's not a bomb," but it was unclear why the car was there. Amtrak and NJ Transit continued to run as scheduled. more ›

The Department of Justice announced that Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani naturalized U.S. citizen accused of leaving a Nissan Pathfinder with a bomb in Times Square on May 1, was indicted on 10 counts, including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted use of a destructive device during and in relation to a conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, yesterday. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara also specifically accused of Shahzad "conspiring with the Pakistani Taliban to wreak death and destruction in Times Square." more ›

According to the Daily News, "Pakistani counterterror agents retracing the footsteps of accused Times Square car bomber Faisal Shahzad have confirmed his claim he was trained by militants in tribal areas near Afghanistan." A senior Pakistani military official also told the News, "Shahzad did go to the people who are operating in those areas. He did have some contact with them." Shahzad has been in custody since his arrest on May 3 and has been cooperating with the feds every day. In the meantime, relatives of three men detained by the Pakistani authorities say the men should be released because they are not linked to Shahzad. more ›

A Pakistani army major and catering executive were arrested in Pakistan for alleged ties to Times Square terror suspect Faisal Shahzad. Intelligence sources tell CBS that two of the six people detained so far in Pakistan have been "proud" of their ties to Shahzad and accused investigators of "siding with infidels." more ›

Faisal Shahzad, the man who allegedly left his Nissan Pathfinder with a homemade bomb inside, reportedly asked investigators why it didn't go off. The Post reports that Shahzad, who has "spent the last two weeks under guard at a Brooklyn hotel," "begged them to explain where he went wrong... The source did not say whether he was given the courtesy." At any rate, Shahzad said the bomb's failure was "God's will." more ›

The U.S. Marshal's Service released Times Square terror suspect Faisal Shahzad, and in this image, compared to the widely seen image posted on Orkut, he looks less like Corey Feldman. more ›

Two weeks after being arrested for allegedly placing a car bomb in Times Square on May 1, suspect Faisal Shahzad finally appeared in court. The federal courtroom was emptied for a security sweep and reporters were eager for their first glimpse of him. However, as the NY Times reports, "The tension and drama that led up to the brief proceeding, including a sweep of the packed fifth-floor courtroom that cleared mobs of reporters and spectators so the room could be secured, far overshadowed the substance of the nine-minute hearing." more ›

Terror suspect Faisal Shahzad may have failed with his attempt to set of a car bomb in Times Square, but it turns out that the "Crossroads of the World" may not have been his only target. According to MyFoxNY, a source says "he was taking aim at four other high-profile targets: Rockefeller Center, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center, and Connecticut-based defense contractor Sikorsky." more ›

On Thursday, the FBI conducted raids in Massachusetts, Maine, NJ and Long Island to find possible associates of Times Square terror suspect Faisal Shahzad. It's believed that Shahzad received $4,000 during a meeting at a Dunkin' Donuts in Ronkonkoma, and some Pakistani men on Long Island were questioned. But one is particularly unhappy about being profiled and connected to Shahzad. more ›

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano fired back at accusations that the White House was shortchanging NYC area counter-terrorism funding, telling Rep. Peter King (R-Long Island) in a letter that the NY Times happened to obtain, "We are concerned. that more than $275 million in federal funding for New York City’s port and transit security since 2006 has not yet been drawn down." more ›

Yesterday, the FBI raided homes in Long Island, Massachusetts, Maine and NJ as part of its investigation into the activities of Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad. Two men in Massachusetts were taken in custody, as was one man in Maine, and it appears that Shahzad may have received money for his plot from a cash courier in Long Island. more ›

Yesterday, President Obama spent the late afternoon and evening in the Big Apple. The agenda: Thank the NYPD for thwarting the Times Square car bomb and then a fundraiser for House Democrats. At Police headquarters, Obama said, "I just wanted to stop by say,.Thank you. The country is proud of you... the president is proud of you. I don’t think I need to tell you that given the potential for attack everywhere in the country, we’ve got a lot to learn from what is taking place here." more ›

The FBI conducted raids on homes in the Northeast, including ones near Boston and on Long Island, this morning, as part of its investigation into the Times Square terror plot. FBI spokeswoman Gail Marcinkiewicz told the Boston Globe, "there's no known immediate threat to the public or active plot against the United States... The searches are the product of evidence that has been gathered in the investigation" so far. more ›

Faisal Shahzad, the Times Square car bomb suspect, apparently spent very little on his botched bomb. According to NY1, "Investigators say Shahzad spent $1,300 for a used sports utility vehicle, bought $95 worth of firecrackers and spent other small amounts for the tanks of gasoline and propane." Further, when his Connecticut apartment rent and plane tickets are added to the total, he may have only spent $7,000. The feds have been trying to find the courier to helped fund Shahzad's modest expenses. Of course, Saturday Night Live found a way to mock the bomb (see video below). more ›

Last week, Mayor Bloomberg blamed Albany and Governor Paterson for giving him no choice but to cut programs and thousands of workers from the city's budget. Now, Paterson is reportedly rolling up his sleeves, because he's tired of being kicked around. A "source close to the Paterson administration" tells the Post's Fred Dicker, "Mayor Bloomberg is not going to treat the governor poorly, with disrespect! We've got just as many muscles as the mayor and his people do—and if they want a street fight, then so be it." more ›

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder appeared on "This Week" and "Meet the Press" this morning to say that he believed the Pakistan Taliban was involved in last week's Times Square car bomb attempt, "We've now developed evidence that shows the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack. We know that they helped facilitate it. We know that they probably helped finance it. And that [terror suspect Faisal Shahzad] was working at their direction." more ›

An FBI team arrived in Pakistan yesterday to investigate whether Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad has ties to international terror groups. The 30-year-old Pakistani-turned-naturalized American citizen has claimed that he was trained at a Taliban camp in Pakistan, but the Pakistan Taliban has denied any connection (though praised his botched bombing attempt). more ›

After yesterday's two suspicious package reports shut down a block and then a huge swath of Times Square, people had mixed reactions to the disruptions. One person told WCBS 2, "Anything for safety," while a tourist from Atlanta said, "It's disturbing that anything suspicious can cause an interruption and excitement and everything on Broadway." But people really do see something legitimately suspicious! more ›

General David Petraeus told the AP that he doesn't think Times Square terror suspect Faisal Shahzad was working with anyone: He said "that Shahzad was a 'lone wolf' who was inspired by militants in Pakistan but didn't have direct contact with them. Authorities say Shahzad told investigators he went to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan but have yet to confirm that." more ›

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." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg made his way to Washington D.C. yesterday to demand that Congress close the "terror gap" that allows individuals on the terrorist watch list to buy guns. He said, "Shouldn't FBI agents have the authority to block sales of guns and explosives to those on the terror watchlists -- and deemed too dangerous to fly? I actually believe that they should," and referred to the Times Square car bombing attempt. more ›

While the government believes that Times Square car bomb suspect Faisal Shahzad was trained and inspired by the Pakistan Taliban, the group's spokesman denied any link, telling CBS News, "This is a noble job and we pray that all the Muslim youths should follow Faisal Shahzad. But he is not part of our network," adding that the plot was "hatched by the U.S. and its allies to trap Muslim and Pushtun youth in terrorist activities" and promised to "launch attacks against the U.S. and its allies with a new zeal and style The U.S. and its European allies are our target." more ›

Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani naturalized U.S. citizen who was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, and other federal crimes for allegedly leaving a car bomb in Times Square, has reportedly waived his right to a rapid court hearing. According to the NY Times, "The disclosure that Mr. Shahzad has waived his right to a speedy arraignment suggests that he is continuing to provide valuable information to the office of Preet Bharara." more ›

As the authorities continue to understand the plans behind the attempted car bombing in Times Square, there's relief that suspect Faisal Shahzad was arrested just before his flight to Dubai took off but there's concern about how he nearly got away. Not only did Emirates Airline ignore an update that Shahzad, a Pakistani national who became a U.S. citizen last year, was added to the no-fly list, the feds lost track of him for a number of hours on Monday during their surveillance. more ›

Faisal Shahzad, the Pakistani man suspected of driving a Nissan Pathfinder with a car bomb to Times Square, will be in federal court to face charges at 2 p.m. Shahzad, 30, reportedly became a naturalized US citizen in just last year in Hartford: He "was not known to the U.S. intelligence community before the failed bombing attempt in New York City, and there was no derogatory information about him in terrorism-related government databases, an official told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation. Shahzad passed all the criminal and national security background checks required for citizenship, the Associated Press reported." more ›

At 11:45 p.m. last night, law enforcement officials arrested a 30-year-old Connecticut resident for allegedly driving a Nissan Pathfinder filled with gasoline, propane, M88 firecrackers, and non-explosive fertilizer to Times Square on Saturday night. The U.S. Attorney's office said that Faisal Shahzad, "a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Pakistan, was taken into custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection while attempting to take a flight to Dubai." more ›

So that apparently poorly constructed, possibly amateurish car bomb left in a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder parked on West 45th Street in Times Square? Now the Washington Post reports it "increasingly appears to have been coordinated by several people in a plot with international links, Obama administration officials said Tuesday. Emerging from a series of briefings, several officials said it was premature to rule out any motive but said the sweeping, multi-state investigation was turning up new clues." more ›

Two disabled Vietnam veteran street vendors and one mounted police officer have emerged as the media darlings in the wake of Saturday's "amateurish" attempt to set off a car bomb in Times Square. Last night Mayor Bloomberg hosted a congratulatory dinner at Blue Fin in Times Square, personally thanking Officer Wayne Rhatigan, a 19-year NYPD veteran, and Duane Jackson, one of the street vendors who first noticed the Nissan Pathfinder parked on Broadway by 45th Street with its emergency flashers on, its motor running, and a small amount of smoke was coming out of it. A third vendor, Lance Orton, declined the dinner invitation, but he did chat with The Today Show this morning. more ›

The Connecticut license plates on the SUV matched a Ford; according to WFSB, "The investigation led agents to a scrapyard in Stratford and a shoreline car dealership. Police said the Pathfinder could have been sold from Thomas Anthony Auto in Bridgeport at some point. The SUV's vehicle identification number led officials to the dealership... Police were also at Kramer's scrapyard in Stratford in a search to hunt down the license plates, which they said came off a pickup truck." more ›