Man of Pakistani origin held for Times Square bombig bid (Third Lead, Changing dateline)

WASHINGTON - US authorities have arrested a naturalised American citizen from Pakistan, minutes before he was to flee to Pakistan, for a failed car bomb attack at Times Square in New York City.

The man, Faisal Shahzad, 30, was arrested at 11:45 Monday night on board an Emirates Airlines plane at JFK International Airport, Attorney General Eric Holder announced at a rare middle-of-the-night news conference here early Tuesday.

“It was clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans,” he said.

CNN citing a law enforcement official said Shahzad’s final destination was Pakistan. It cited another federal law enforcement source as saying Shahzad nearly made it out of the country.

“They just caught him at the last second,” according to the CNN source, who said Shahzad was on board the flight to Dubai and the jetway had been pulled back when the plane was called to return to the gate.

Two other passengers were also removed from the plane, the New York Times said citing Emirates, but it was unclear whether they were connected with the bombing attempt.

Shahzad was believed to have recently bought the 1993 Nissan Pathfinder that was found loaded with gasoline, propane, fireworks and fertiliser in the heart of Times Square, it said citing a person briefed on the investigation.

Charges against Shahzad, who had returned recently from a trip to Pakistan, were not announced, but he was expected to be formally charged Tuesday in a federal court.

Shahzad was taken into custody after he was identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s US Customs and Border Protection, according to a joint statement issued by the office of the Preet Bharara, the United States attorney for the southern district of New York, the FBI and the New York Police Department.

CNN citing a source familiar with the investigation, said investigators believe the plan was an intended terrorist attack to set off explosives in the heart of midtown Manhattan Saturday night, but the individuals didn’t have the expertise to detonate their device.

A federal law enforcement official cited by CNN said the information gained from the vehicle’s sale was the linchpin in the case.

Shahzad became a US citizen April 17, 2009, which aided investigators in the case, the federal law enforcement source said.

Because of his recent change in status, authorities had his picture and were able to show it to the seller of the vehicle, who identified Shahzad as the purchaser.

An FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force had taken over the investigation Monday amid growing indications of a possible international connection, the Washington Post said, citing US officials and law enforcement sources.

Investigators and agents also were scouring international phone records showing calls “between some of the people who might be associated with this and folks overseas,” it said citing a US official who has discussed the case with intelligence officers.

At Shahzad’s former home in Shelton, Connecticut, just outside Bridgeport, a neighbour told the New York Times that Shahzad and his wife, Huma Mian, spoke limited English, and kept mostly to themselves. The couple had two young children, a girl and a boy, the neighboor, Brenda Thurman, was quoted as saying.

Thurman said the couple had lived at the grey, two story colonial-style three-bedroom house for about three years before moving out last year. Shahzad left around May, she said, and his wife followed about a month later.

DPA adds:

The US sought help from Islamabad Tuesday to investigate the alleged involvement of the Pakistani immigrant in the failed bombing attempt.

US Ambassador Anne W. Patterson made the request during a meeting with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.

Abdul Basit, a spokesman for Pakistan’s foreign ministry, said Qureshi had assured the US ambassador that Pakistan would cooperate fully with the investigation.

“Our cooperation with the US against terrorism is a constant and ongoing process, and if the US needs our assistance on this particular issue we will do all we can,” Basit said.