Times Square car bomb suspect appears in court

A Pakistani-American terror suspect accused of driving a homemade car bomb into Times Square, appeared in a federal court in Manhattan for the first time since his arrest two weeks ago.

Faisal Shahzad did not speak much during his arraignment proceedings that lasted about 15 minutes yesterday. He said “yes” when asked to confirm the accuracy of a financial statement.

The 30—year—old man sat on the defence table with his court assigned lawyer Julia Gatto.

On May 1, Shahzad tried to blow up a crowded area of Times Square by leaving a car packed with explosives in the popular tourist site.

Shahzad, was arrested on May 3 while trying to escape to Dubai on an Emirates flight. He was apprehended at the John F Kennedy airport and is believed to have been working in collusion with the Pakistani—Taliban.

Shahzad worked as a financial analyst in Connecticut where he lived with his wife. But his personal and professional life began to unravel last year during the financial crisis.

In two emails, the terror suspect has expressed frustration with the state of the Muslim world.

“Can you tell me a way to save the oppressed,” he asked. .

“And a way to fight back when rockets are fired at us and Muslim blood flows? In Palestine, Afghan, Iraq, Chechnya and elsewhere,” he wrote in a 2006 email.

Having waived his arraignments rights for more than two weeks, Shahzad has been cooperating with the authorities.

“Shahzad ... has provided valuable intelligence from which further investigative action has been taken,” US Attorney Preet Bharara said before the hearing, as quoted by New York Daily News.

On Monday, he received several charges including attempted terrorism and attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. If convicted, he could be in prison for life.

Three other Pakistani men in the U.S. were arrested last week on suspicion of funnelling money to Shahzad but they do not face criminal charges in connection with the foiled terror plot.