His name is Faisal Shahzad and he is a "30-year-old American immigrant from Pakistan" who purchased the Nissan Pathfinder that was founded loaded with explosives in Times Square, with cash.
Officials located Shahzad after a sweeping two-day investigation that yielded what senior Obama administration officials described as a flood of international and domestic clues suggesting a plot involving more than one person. It was not immediately clear whether there was any link between Fahzad and videotapes that police circulated widely on Monday, showing men near the site of the attempted bombing who may have been acting suspiciously.
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Shahzad was apprehended aboard Emirates Flight 202. A spokesman for the United Arab Emirates embassy in Washington said Shahzad had planned to change planes in Dubai and fly to Islamabad. Shahzad been in Pakistan for several months in 2009, returning in February 2010, the official said.
"It was clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans," Holder said at a rare middle-of-the-night news conference at the Justice Department to announce the arrest.
Attorney General Eric Holder's whole statement:
Earlier this evening, Faisal Shahzad was arrested in connection with the attempted car bombing in New York on Saturday. Mr. Shahzad, an American citizen, was taken into custody at JFK Airport in New York as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai.
Since this plot was first uncovered on Saturday night, the FBI, prosecutors and intelligence lawyers in the National Security Division of the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorneys Offices in Manhattan and Connecticut, along with the NYPD have worked night and day to find out who was responsible for what would have been a deadly attack had it been successful. Over the course of the day today, we have gathered significant additional evidence that led to tonights arrest, which was made by agents from Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Protection.
This investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads. But its clear that the intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans.
FBI agents are working with their state and local counterparts in New York, Connecticut and other jurisdictions to gather evidence and intelligence related to this case. We are also coordinating with other members of the Presidents national security team to ensure we use every resource available to the United States to bring anyone responsible to justice.
We continue to gather leads in this investigation, and its important that the American people remain vigilant. The vehicle in Times Square was first noticed on Saturday by a citizen who reported it to authorities, and, as always, any American who notices suspicious activity should report it to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
This investigation is ongoing, it is multi-faceted, and it is aggressive. As we move forward, we will focus on not just holding those responsible for it accountable, but also on obtaining any intelligence about terrorist organizations overseas.
Because of the fast-moving nature of this investigation, I am not able to make any further information public at this time. But the American people should know that we are deploying every resource available, and we will not rest until we have brought everyone responsible to justice.
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Bomb suspect busted at JFK
Cellphone led to Times Square arrest
Republicans warn against Miranda rights for terror suspect
The Times Square arrest and the politics of national security
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