Bomb suspect cooperating, will face terror, weapons of mass destruction charges

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Bomb suspect cooperating, to face terror charges

WASHINGTON — The Pakistani-born U.S. citizen charged in the failed Times Square bombing will face terrorism and weapons of mass destruction charges and is cooperating with investigators, Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday.

“Based on what we know so far, it is clear that this was a terrorist plot aimed at murdering Americans in one of the busiest places in our country,” Holder said.

Faisal Shahzad is being questioned and has provided valuable information to investigators, Holder said.

Shahzad 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, one U.S. official said, speaking on condition of anonymity amid the ongoing investigation.

The official said investigators learned the man’s identity on Monday but declined to say how.

President Barack Obama said the FBI was investigating possible ties between Shahzad and terrorist groups.

Shahzad became a U.S. citizen in April 2009 and passed all the criminal and national security background checks required for citizenship.

Other law enforcement officials familiar with the inquiry say investigators plan to go through his citizenship application line by line to see if he lied about anything. He became a citizen in Hartford, Conn.

On Monday, Shahzad made a flight reservation on the way to John F. Kennedy International Airport and paid for his ticket in cash, U.S. government officials said.

Shahzad was aboard an Emirates flight bound for Dubai that had left the gate, but returned so that authorities could arrest him.

Associated Press writers Matt Apuzzo and Eileen Sullivan contributed to this report.