Failed Times Square bomber had five targets
By IANSTuesday, May 18, 2010
NEW YORK - The Pakistani-American failed Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad reportedly considered targeting four other local landmarks, according to media reports.
Shahzad told interrogators he wanted to hit the city’s Rockefeller Plaza, Grand Central Terminal, the World Financial Center and the Connecticut headquarters of defence contractor Sikorsky if his Times Square attack was successful, the New York Post reported Tuesday.
His plans were foiled May 1, when a vendor saw smoke coming from Shahzad’s SUV and alerted police. Shahzad revealed to investigators that he had planned to attack Times Square either May 1 or May 8 at 6.30 p.m. The suspect studied websites that stream video of area foot traffic, and concluded that early Saturday nights gave him the best chance to kill as many people as possible, it said.
Sikorsky manufactures helicopters for the US Military, including the Black Hawk. It has headquarters in Shelton and Bridgeport - the two cities where Shahzad has lived.
“They want to maximize the exposure of the attack,” security expert Michael Balboni, a former homeland security adviser for New York State, told FOX news.
“So they want to pick things that are iconic that perhaps have a lot of people so they can increase the body count. Anything to make it as dramatic as possible.”
The channel cited a source as saying Shahzad’s connections in Pakistan had advised him to buy the fireworks, fertiliser and pathfinder over a period of time so it wouldn’t raise any suspicions.
The 30-year-old Pakistani-American was apprehended 53 hours later at John F Kennedy airport trying to escape to Dubai. He is believed to have been working in collusion with the Pakistan-Taliban.
