Times Square bomber fronts hearing
Source: Agencies |
May 20, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
APPEARING relaxed and obedient, the man accused of plotting a car bombing in Times Square made his first appearance in a United States courtroom where he was told by a magistrate judge that he had the right to remain silent.
Authorities say Faisal Shahzad's willingness to talk kept him out of court for two weeks, speeding up the progress of an investigation into his May 1 plot to set off a homemade car bomb on a spring Saturday evening amid hundreds of people enjoying the tourist haven.
Authorities said shortly after Shahzad's May 3 arrest that he had admitted driving the SUV bomb into Times Square and told authorities he had received terror training during a recent five-month trip to Pakistan.
His cooperation did not eliminate the need to bring him to the Manhattan court on Tuesday to face five charges, including attempted use of weapons of mass destruction and attempted acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, each of which carry potential penalties of life in prison.
The hearing lasted only 10 minutes. Shahzad, 30, a Pakistan-born US citizen, confirmed his financial affidavit was accurate, permitting him to be appointed an assistant public defender, Julia Gatto, who declined to comment afterward.
There was no sign that Shahzad had secured any special benefits from his cooperation, though he was wearing a sweat suit rather than a prison uniform. When the hearing ended, he stood up and was handcuffed behind his back. He walked out without looking at spectators.
Magistrate Judge James C. Francis read him his rights. He was detained without bail for the attack in which the bomb never exploded.
The ex-budget analyst was pulled from a Dubai-bound plane at John F. Kennedy International Airport two days after the attempted attack.
In addition to the most serious charges, Shahzad was also charged with using a destructive device in an attempted violent crime, punishable by up to 30 years in prison; transporting and receiving explosives, punishable by up to 10 years; and attempting to damage and destroy property with fire and explosives, punishable by five to 20 years.
Since his arrest, Shahzad "has provided valuable intelligence from which further investigative action has been taken," the US attorney's office in Manhattan said on Tuesday.
Federal authorities raided locations in three states last week and picked up three men on immigration violations. The men are suspected of providing money to Shahzad to help build the homemade bomb.
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