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by Faisal Shahzad, admitting to all 10 terrorism-related counts in the Times Square plot, describes himself as a 'Muslim soldier' fighting a war against the United States.
Reporting from New York —
A Pakistani-born U.S. citizen charged with planting a car bomb in Times Square said Monday that he was a "Muslim soldier" who plotted the attack for months and was prepared to shoot if anyone tried to stop him after he abandoned his explosives-laden SUV on a busy Manhattan corner.
In a calm but defiant tone, Faisal Shahzad, 30, pleaded guilty to all 10 charges stemming from the May 1 plot and warned that it was one small part of a war being waged by Muslims against Americans. As long as U.S. forces remain active in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, "we will be attacking" the United States, he told U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum in a packed Manhattan courtroom.
Since his arrest, prosecutors say, Shahzad has spoken at length about his actions and motivations, but Monday's hearing was the first time he spoke out in court. His demeanor and words underscored the depth of bitterness toward a country that granted him citizenship in April 2009, months before he traveled to Pakistan on a quest to gain entry to the Pakistani Taliban. He underwent training in December and January.
Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ny-terror-20100622,0,7451663.story
Reporting from New York —
A Pakistani-born U.S. citizen charged with planting a car bomb in Times Square said Monday that he was a "Muslim soldier" who plotted the attack for months and was prepared to shoot if anyone tried to stop him after he abandoned his explosives-laden SUV on a busy Manhattan corner.
In a calm but defiant tone, Faisal Shahzad, 30, pleaded guilty to all 10 charges stemming from the May 1 plot and warned that it was one small part of a war being waged by Muslims against Americans. As long as U.S. forces remain active in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Muslim countries, "we will be attacking" the United States, he told U.S. District Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum in a packed Manhattan courtroom.
Since his arrest, prosecutors say, Shahzad has spoken at length about his actions and motivations, but Monday's hearing was the first time he spoke out in court. His demeanor and words underscored the depth of bitterness toward a country that granted him citizenship in April 2009, months before he traveled to Pakistan on a quest to gain entry to the Pakistani Taliban. He underwent training in December and January.
Read More: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-ny-terror-20100622,0,7451663.story
