Washington – American officials said Wednesday that it was very likely that a radical group once thought unable to attack the United States had played a role in the bombing attempt in Times Square, elevating concerns about whether other militant groups could deliver at least a glancing blow on American soil.
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Officials said that after two days of intense questioning of the bombing suspect, Faisal Shahzad, evidence was mounting that the group, the Pakistani Taliban, had helped inspire and train Mr. Shahzad in the months before he is alleged to have parked an explosives-filled sport utility vehicle in a busy Manhattan intersection on Saturday night. Officials said Mr. Shahzad had discussed his contacts with the group, and investigators had accumulated other evidence that they would not disclose.
One senior Obama administration official cautioned that “there are no smoking guns yet” that the Pakistani Taliban had directed the Times Square bombing. But others said that there were strong indications that Mr. Shahzad knew some members of the group and that they probably had a role in training him.
In a video on Sunday, the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attempted bombing.
One issue that investigators are vigorously pursuing is who provided Mr. Shahzad cash to buy the S.U.V. and his plane ticket to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates.
“Somebody’s financially sponsoring him, and that’s the link we’re pursuing,” one official said. “And that would take you on the logic train back to Pak-Taliban authorizations,” the official said, referring to the group.
notice they are not called terrorists, they are called militants. as if they have the right and privilage. we should demand truth from the NYT and have them call them by their rightful names: TERRORISTS
let him sit in jail all his life and eat bread and water.
DO NOT HAVE ANY MERCY.
here we go again stuff that makes no sense. First of all we destroyed the Taliban as easily as we created it. What the media calls “Taliban” are actually landowners (many of them armed and with private armies) who refuse to support the American backed puppet government. There is no more Taliban we erased them years ago.
How is there a Taliban in Pakistan? Pakistan has a government allied with the USA. Where is there Taliban on their soil? The truth is I think this whole thing was a joint CIA ISI operation. The CIA and ISI created the Taliban and use its name to pull of Operation Northwoods style missions on American soil.
When will Americans wake up, take to the streets and restore the American republic and the consititution, before we have no rights left.
What about all the politicians who were saying oh he is a crazy lone wolf?
You know how I don’t get? He uses all privileges and lives a great life in NYC. He went to college here. And how can he be so selfish as to hurt a country who let him in and was good to him.