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Pakistani-American Accused in Times Square Plot; Holder, Napolitano Hold News Briefing
Aired May 04, 2010 - 13:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with T.J. Holmes in for Ali Velshi.
T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: Tony, I do appreciate it. Thank you so much.
And as Tom was just alluding to there, this is a fast-moving story that is coming to us literally minute by minute. I'm in for Ali Velshi today. We are just moments away from a briefing. A top administration official is going to give us a briefing on this attempted car bombing in Times Square. You will hear it here live.
Also, investigators are saying that, yes, they got their man, but the investigation is only just beginning. And would you believe it is spreading overseas? We've learned all kinds of new details, including new arrests -- yes, more arrests -- in this case. We're going to learn a whole lot more here in just a moment.
Also, a story we're keeping an eye on. A college campus shaken. One student athlete is dead. Another student athlete is facing murder charges.
Also, weather still a big issue. Rivers in the south practically bulging out of their banks. And anyone downstream could be in a watery path of destruction. Our Chad Myers is following that for us.
But first, this fast-developing story today, that close call in Times Square. There was even a closer call at JFK Airport. A hair- raising thriller here to tell you about that began with a makeshift bomb and ended with a thwarted getaway. Not that any of this has really ended just yet.
The dramatic arrest of a suspect in the plot to unleash a fireball on the streets of Manhattan. Only the latest chapter in a story that stretches from Pakistan to the Persian Gulf to Connecticut.
Worldwide resources of CNN, we're going to be using right here, covering every single angle for you and developments as only we can.
We want to begin in Washington where the attorney general, Eric Holder, and the homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, are about to hold a news conference. That's also where CNN's homeland security correspondent, Jeanne Meserve, is. She joins me now to help us set this stage. Jeanne, I know you have been on this story. You have been collecting this info. And actually, you've been getting it minute by minute. So you tell me: what is the very latest now? And tell us what we can expect to hear from this update from Eric Holder.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, the big question from the beginning has been is this domestic, is this international? We have now heard from Pakistani intelligence sources there are reports of arrests in Pakistan, an indication that this has become an international investigation indeed.
Other information that we have gleaned recently, this attributable to a federal law enforcement source. This source says that a .9 millimeter gun and additional clips and ammo were found in the white Isuzu vehicle that was driven by the suspect to JFK Airport.
The source also says that 15 bags of what's called standard green fertilizer were found in the trash outside his home in Shelton, Connecticut. Flash powder also found in that improvised bomb in Times Square. Also found in the trash. His inmates [SIC] are also being interviewed.
A little bit more of what we've learned. You know he was or arrested on an airplane at JFK. We've been told by law enforcement sources that he was driving to that airport when he made contact with Emirates Airline to either confirm a reservation or book a reservation on that flight. He was under surveillance at that point in time.
But what the law enforcement official tells me is that that surveillance, they didn't know where he was going. They were following, but they had no idea what the destination was until sometime into the drive. And then, when they did determine that it was JFK, they didn't have any information about what airline or what flight he'd be on.
Fortunately, Emirates had flagged the fact that this individual was paying with cash for his -- for his ticket and that he had -- at the last minute, was booking a flight. They turned around and they, after going through some process, notified the U.S. The U.S. then put in motion a plan to try and intercept him at the airport, but it took some time to do all of this. And they weren't quite fast enough. He managed to get on that aircraft. And according to two law enforcement sources, it was a very close call. One source says that the jetway had actually started to be retracted from that plane. They put it back. Customs and Border Protection went in and took him into custody.
So a near miss, according to those sources.
HOLMES: That was a very close call. We're hearing about the arrests that were happening in Pakistan that just happened just a short time ago. What are you being told about how far -- and certainly outside of our borders, but are they still possibly looking for suspects in the U.S.? Is it possible that someone else attached to Shahzad is running around the streets of U.S. somewhere? MESERVE: It's certainly possible. We don't know anything definitive. The attorney general in his remarks early this morning made it clear that the investigation was still ongoing. We may learn more in a few moments at this press conference. At this point, I can't confirm anything.
I can tell you that one law enforcement official I spoke to this morning said it was perfectly clear that this person wasn't working alone. He cited the fact that he was peeling off cash to pay for things. But whether that assistance was domestic or whether that was a reference to possible support he was getting from overseas wasn't clarified. We don't know.
HOLMES: All right. Jeanne Meserve, thank you so much. I know you are working the phones, working your sources there. We'll check back in with you.
And a reminder to our viewers. We are standing by right now waiting to hear from the attorney general, Eric Holder, and also the head of homeland security, Janet Napolitano. Waiting for that briefing. When they step up to that podium, you will certainly hear from them live as we get another update of exactly where this investigation is going to go next.
But we know where it has been. It's been just a strange couple of days, really a fast-moving couple of days. Fifty-three hours and 17 minutes precisely. And that's how much time elapsed between the first appearance of a bomb-laden SUV in Times Square and the arrest of a suspect.
6:28 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday night when a surveillance camera spotted a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder entering West 45th Street in Manhattan. Two minutes later, a T-shirt vendor told a mounted patrol officer the SUV was filling with smoke.
Cops moved in. Streets were cleared. And at 2 a.m. the mayor, Michael Bloomberg, and the NYPD announced the vehicle did, in fact, contain a crude, homemade bomb.
Five hours later, the threat was removed. Streets were reopened.
3 p.m., police released video of two people they didn't call suspects but said they were people they would like to speak to.
And yesterday, the SUV and bomb materials were taken to the FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia, and over the course of the day, President Obama was briefed on the case six separate times.
Last night, last second arrest, Faisal Shahzad, on board an Emirates Airlines flight that was about to take off for Dubai. President Obama got that word 20 minutes later.
Let's talk about the suspect you're going to be hearing an awful lot about. Faisal Shahzad, 30 years old. He's a Pakistani native who became a U.S. citizen in April of 2009. He has a wife, two children, lived in Connecticut, buying a house in the town of Shelton in 2004 but losing it to foreclosure last September.
Last known residence is in a building in Bridgeport. And that is the building that the FBI and police have been searching today. A former neighbor says Shahzad told her he worked on Wall Street.
Before we move on now, I want you to hear a few words from President Obama. He was at a business event in Washington today. And he reflected on the events we've seen over the past two days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: New Yorkers have reminded us once again of how to live with their heads held high. We know that the aim of those who try to carry out those attacks is to force us to live in fear and thereby amplifying the effects of their attacks, even those that fail.
But as Americans and as a nation, we will not be terrorized. We will not cower in fear. We will not be intimidated. We will be vigilant. We will work together. And we will protect and defend the country we love to ensure a safe and prosperous future for our people. That's what I intend to do as president, and that's what we will do as a nation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOLMES: We want to remind you of a couple of things we're keeping our eyes on right now. On the bottom of your screen, you see that live box. That is where we're expecting to see the attorney general and homeland security director to step out and give us an update at any minute. When that happens, we'll take you there live.
Also, Faisal Shahzad, the suspect, he's due in federal court later this afternoon. CNN, of course, your source for every new development, and they are fast moving developments, literally happening and coming us to every minute and every hour. So stay with us.
Also, another thing we're keeping a close eye on. The time to act is right now. Oil gushing from that blown-out well in the Gulf. An oil slick growing in size as it moves closer to the shore. And now marine life and human livelihoods paying the price. We're going to be talking about solutions with General Russel Honore. That's coming your way, straight ahead.
And Ali is off this week, of course, so I'm taking over the "XYZ," trying to do it justice. Going to be talking about college athletes, grade point averages, and the University of Kentucky. You might not like what I've got to say. But, hey, we're going to try to give you a dose of reality. Stick around.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Well, welcome back, ladies and gentlemen. You're looking at a live picture there. We are waiting for, any moment, the attorney general, Eric Holder, and the homeland security secretary, Janet Napolitano, to step up to that podium and give us an update of what is happening about this investigation.
We have, of course, been working our sources. And our -- certainly, our reporters, our correspondents, have been on it. Jeanne Meserve is one of them. Literally just getting off the phone.
I see you've got more information. Please give us the update.
MESERVE: Yes. I want to do a little bit of a clarification, T.J., of the story I just told about this individual going to JFK. A federal law enforcement official now tells me that, from his car on the way to JFK, he did make his reservation to go on that flight.
It so happens that he was on some kind of list that would have flagged him. And Customs and Border Protection kept running the manifest from the flight against that list. They didn't get any hit until the very, very last minute, because this individual had bought his ticket so late.
And so once they caught it, they were able to react very quickly and get on board that airliner and get him off.
It's also become less clear where exactly the FBI surveillance was, how closely they were following this individual, where exactly they were. So just a little bit of a modification to that story that I told you before. I just wanted to update you.
HOLMES: And I want to make sure we do have that clear. So many reports out there about exactly what happened at that airport. But you're saying this individual is on some kind of list. His name in some way, form, or fashion -- we don't know why it might have been on the list -- but it was on a list to be flagged if he tried to buy -- tried to fly somewhere.
MESERVE: Well, here's why I think it was on the list. We were told by several law enforcement sources that before Saturday there was no derogatory information about this individual anywhere in any of the databases. I mean, he had been approved for citizenship in the United States. And so he wasn't on any kind of list at that point.
But it would be my guess that, once his name showed up in connection with this investigation, they moved very quickly to put him on some sort of a list so that, if he did try to leave the country or move across the country, somebody would be flagged. Somebody would realize he was making that moment -- that movement.
That would mesh with something we heard Sunday, which was that the TSA and DHS had ramped up security at airports, had made provisions for doing additional secondary screenings for identifying flights where they might need to do additional secondary screenings. So it's all kind of fitting together.
HOLMES: All right. Jeanne Meserve, fitting this together for us. We appreciate you. We'll let you get back on the phone. We appreciate that update. We'll check in with you again.
Again to our viewers, you see that live picture at the bottom of your screen of what we are waiting on. We expect an update from Eric Holder, the attorney general, and Janet Napolitano at any moment, expecting that literally at any moment. Here we are almost a quarter past the hour here on the East Coast, a quarter past 1 p.m. We are waiting for them to step out.
We also have, like we said, our reporters are -- have fanned all off -- all over the place, literally, even in Pakistan where this investigation has gone. But also in Connecticut. And that's where our Mary Snow is.
And Mary, you've been keeping an eye on what the authorities have been doing. And they certainly seem to be going through at least this last known residence of this suspect, going through it pretty thoroughly.
MARY SNOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, they have been, T.J. And there -- the scene here is, it's pretty much wrapping up as evidence trucks have left the scene in the past hour. Certainly a stark contrast to the scene last night when the FBI, forensics team, state, local police, had really frozen off this area and zeroed in on that last known residence of Faisal Shahzad.
We're also getting some new information, too, as we try to learn more about who this man is. And the University of Bridgeport has confirmed that he did attend the university, and he graduated in 2000 with a degree in computer applications and information systems. And then went on to get his MBA in the summer of 2005.
T.J., the suspect had lived here, it appears, for the past few months. But really the people in this neighborhood didn't know him very well, only to see him.
But we're getting in a different picture, not very far from here in Shelton, Connecticut. And that is where he owned a home with his wife. And neighbors there tell us that the couple had two young children. They bought a home, according to court documents, back in 2004. It was going through foreclosure. And the last neighbors saw the family was in July last year -- T.J.
HOLMES: In July of last year. Have we gotten much of an indication of exactly where the wife and the children might be right now?
SNOW: No. We don't know for certain where the wife and children are. Neighbors were uncertain about that, too.
What one neighbor did tell us, she said that it appeared that Shahzad had left prior to the wife, two children, and perhaps two sisters who had been living at that home in Shelton, Connecticut.
They pretty much described the family as keeping to themselves, for the most part. We're trying to get a clearer picture of who exactly he was.
HOLMES: Tell us what that -- Mary, I was trying to get a note here and write it down. But new information we're getting is that this man was -- was educated at the University of Bridgeport. He got his first degree, but also went back and got an MBA in the summer of 2005. And he told, by some reports, neighbors that he worked on Wall Street.
SNOW: Yes, that came from one neighbor. We haven't been able to confirm that. We haven't been able to confirm where he worked from any of the people who lived near here and had seemed to have run into him.
We also found out from the University of Bridgeport, it seems that he had gone to Southeastern University in D.C. before going to the University of Bridgeport and transferred to Bridgeport, again, completing his first degree in 2000 and going on to get his MBA in 2005.
The university said that it has been in touch with government authorities. They wanted to inform officials after learning about the suspect and his arrest last night.
HOLMES: All right. Mary Snow, don't go too far. Stay with me here.
I just want to remind our viewers what we're standing by for. We're waiting to hear an update from the attorney general, Eric Holder; also, Janet Napolitano, the homeland security secretary, about this investigation, an investigation that has now branched out not just from Times Square. It's going to Connecticut; it's going to Texas. It has now gone over to Pakistan, where the breaking developments we got just minutes ago are that two arrests have been made in Pakistan in connection with this Times Square attempted bombing. We got that word from Islamabad, from our reporter there, Reza Sayah.
That, in fact, now other arrests have been made in connection. We don't know about the possibility of others after that.
You're taking a look at the map here. And that is where our people are fanned out right now. We have the worldwide resources of CNN covering this story. But we're expecting so much more, hoping to get so much more information from the attorney general when he does step out. So many questions that people do have.
We also heard from the president a little earlier today, trying to reassure the American people that everything that can be done is being done in this investigation. But right now what we know is that one arrest, at least, here in the United States, another two.
We also heard from our Jeanne Meserve, who was with us just a moment ago, another new development, saying that Faisal Shahzad's name, in fact, popped up -- popped up -- when he tried to change his flight arrangement on that -- on that plane, trying to head over to Dubai and then heading over to Pakistan.
But he almost, folks, he almost was able to take off on that plane. The thing had already gotten away from the jetway. The plane was heading out. And when it was told to come back -- so they were preparing to take off when officers were able to catch up with him and ordered that plane to come back. And they took him off that plane.
But again, our Jeanne Meserve telling us -- actually, I'm starting to see this -- this briefing may be about to get started. So let's go ahead. This is what we've been waiting on. We'll listen here and wait for the attorney general.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York and Nora Dennehy (ph), the U.S. attorney for Connecticut. It's a two-minute warning.
HOLMES: All right. So, all right. We saw somebody step to the podium. We've been waiting for that. So a two-minute warning. That's a two-minute warning. We are waiting on State Department or the Justice Department. I know we're waiting on the -- Eric Holder to come up. So, yes, it was the Justice Department. We are waiting for that briefing to get started. So we're only two minutes away.
So as we wait for these two minutes -- and, again, the new information that we just got from our reporters, in fact, Jeanne Meserve reporting that, in fact, Faisal Shahzad's name popped up, the Emirates, the airline, the Emirates Airline, when he tried to call and change his reservation, something alerted them that this man was somebody that the authorities wanted to talk to.
He was under surveillance going to the airport, but the authorities didn't know where he was going until he got the call from Emirates. And that was a key, because this man could have been in the air on a plane headed to Dubai, then heading to Pakistan.
So a very, very close call to go with another close call, of course. That was Saturday night in Times Square. That bomb almost going off. By some accounts, it was smoking. It started to spark a little bit. But it could have been a lot worse.
Also, the information we're just getting from our Mary Snow about the man's education. The University of Bridgeport, he graduated from there in 2000 with a degree, but also went back -- and you're seeing his picture there once again -- went back to get his MBA in the summer of 2005.
By all accounts, he kept to himself. He had two different places of residence that we know of in Connecticut. Neighbors did not know much about him, said they kept to themselves. But he has a wife and two children. We're not sure exactly where they are just yet.
But he is a naturalized citizen. Now, what that means, he had to take a citizenship test, a written test. He had to pass those. So it's not really an easy process to go through, quite frankly, to become a naturalized citizen. You have to already have a green card. So it's not the easiest thing to do.
Now, also he's expected to be in court here sometime this afternoon. We're told somewhere around 2, maybe later. Our Allan Chernoff is in the court. Allan, you can hear me. Set the scene for us in there. And you're outside, actually. So tell me exactly what time might we expect to see the suspect today.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, T.J., we actually don't know exactly what time. The U.S. attorney's office has told me it will be sometime after 2 p.m. Eastern Time.
HOLMES: Allan -- Allan, forgive me. We thought this might happen. Forgive me for having to jump in. But this briefing is about to get started. The attorney general stepping to the podium. We'll go ahead and listen in to him.
ERIC HOLDER, ATTORNEY GENERAL: Faisal Shahzad was arrested late last night in connection with his alleged role in the attempted car bombing in Times Square last Saturday. Shahzad, a naturalized United States citizen, born in Pakistan, is in federal custody today. He has been and continues to be questioned by federal agents. As a result of those communications, Shahzad has provided useful information to authorities.
We anticipate charging him with an act of terrorism transcending national borders, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, use of a destructive device during the commission of another crime, as well as assorted explosives charges.
Now I want to emphasize that this investigation is ongoing, and we continue to pursue a number of leads as we gather useful intelligence related to the terrorist attack.
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. We believe that this suspected terrorist fashioned a bomb from rudimentary ingredients, placed it in a rusty SUV, and drove it into Times Square with the intent to kill as many innocent tourists and theater goers as possible.
Make mistake -- make no mistake: although this car bomb failed to properly detonate, this plot was a very serious attempt. If successful, it could have resulted in a lethal terrorist attack, causing death and destruction in the heart of New York City. It is a stark reminder of the reality that we face today in this country. The reality that there is a constant threat from those who wish to do us harm simply because of our way of life. There are organized terrorist networks that are targeting us. There are lone terrorists here at home and abroad who are targeting us. As months, even years go by without a successful terrorist attack, the most dangerous lesson that we can draw is a false impression that this threat no longer exists. It does.
And the Department of Justice and our partners in the national security community have no higher priority than disrupting those attempts and bringing those who plot them to justice. In this case, that is exactly what the dedicated agents and prosecutors from the department and various law enforcement agencies have achieved through exemplary investigative efforts. Over the last two days men and women from the FBI, the Department of National Security division and U.S. attorneys offices worked with NYPD, DHS, and state and local partners to doggedly track the evidence in this case. The quick action from FBI agents was critical to alerting Customs and Border Patrol agents, who ultimately arrested him last night at JFK Airport as he was attempting to flee the country.
FBI agents have been able to glean additional evidence from searching Shahzad's car and home. And they continue to work with their state and local counterparts in New York, Connecticut, and other jurisdictions to gather evidence and intelligence related to this case.
We're also coordinating with other members of the president's national security team to ensure that we use every resource available to bring everyone responsible to justice.
These agents and prosecutors are the back of our national security efforts, many of them doing their jobs outside the spotlight of the media. I want to commend them for their results in this case and their unwavering commitment to their jobs. We owe them our gratitude and our respect.
Finally, I want to take this opportunity to remind all Americans how important it is to remain vigilant. The SUV in Times Square was first noted by an alert bystander who reported it to authorities. By being aware of his surroundings and by thinking quickly, he helped save lives and thwarted a potentially devastating attack. As always -- as always, anyone who notices any suspicious activity should report it to the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
I would like to turn it over to Secretary Napolitano.
JANET NAPOLITANO, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: Well, thank you, Attorney General Holder.
As you know, late last night U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents at New York's JFK Airport apprehended and detained Faisal Shahzad, a naturalized United States citizen, in connection with Saturday night's failed bombing attempt in Times Square.
Due to the vigilance of CBP officers, working with all of our law enforcement partners, and relying on enhanced DHS security measures, CBP was able to quickly identify, apprehend the suspect.
I want to express my gratitude to all of the federal, state, local law-enforcement personnel whose cooperation and hard work on this case led to the swift identification and apprehension of Shahzad. This was a great team effort, and law enforcement work in this case was truly exemplary.
In particular, I'd like to thank the dedicated men and women of the Department of Homeland Security, whose work on the case was instrumental in a apprehending this suspect. Customs and Border Protection successfully apprehended the suspect after its agents and analysts had been tracking outbound flights for potential suspect for the past three days.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents served on important role in the joint terrorism task force in New York, as the lead law- enforcement agency on the international aspects of the investigation, interviewing witnesses and running down leads.
The Transportation Security Administration was conducting targeted operations at regional and international airports designed to identify and apprehend a potential suspect.
I'd also like to give special thanks to the alert citizens in New York City whose crucial tips helped authorities prevent what could have been a deadly explosion. What happened on Saturday shows the critical role that the American people play in the security of our country. If anybody ever had any doubt about it, this failed bombing attempt clearly shows the value of the saying, if you see something, say something. Thank you.
And now I'd like to turn it over to Assistant Director John Pistole.
JOHN PISTOLE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR: Thank you, Secretary.
And good afternoon. I want to also commend the men and women who have worked around the clock literally since Saturday to find those responsible for what could have been a deadly attack. A host of agencies, departments, and individuals working together toward a single goal.
Our collective success unraveling this plot comes down to using traditional law-enforcement techniques, such as federal court- authorized search warrants, along with intelligence-based authorities to maximize our evidence and intelligence gathering. Using these techniques, we were collectively able to identify Mr. Shahzad as a person who purchased the 1993 Pathfinder depicted in the back of the room.
CBP identified his extensive overseas travel, which led to expanded investigative steps, enabling us to fully identify and locate and eventually arrest Shahzad.
A key step in this process occurred yesterday when Shahzad was placed on the no-fly list. As the secretary mentioned, CBP did an outstanding job identifying him as person on the JFK flight last night.
Joint terrorism task force agents and officers from NYPD interviewed Mr. Shahzad last night and early this morning under the public safety exception to the Miranda Rule. He was, as the attorney general noted, cooperative and provided valuable intelligence and evidence. He was eventually transported to another location, Mirandized and continued talking. So, we in the FBI, with our law enforcement and intelligence partners, here at home and around the world, continue to investigate this matter.
We are conducting a forensic examination of all evidence collected by NYPD at the scene. Much of the evidence has been transferred to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, so we can test the individual chemical composition of the material and the explosive device. We also want to test the potential impact of the device to ascertain what would have happened had it worked as intended. We, of course, are working with our law enforcement intelligence partners to uncover all possible ties this particular individual has or may have had to radical extremism or terrorist organizations, both at home and overseas. And we're pursuing every lead in that regard.
As all -- always -- and as always -- we are seeking out those who would orchestrate these kind of attacks. Prevention will continue to be our in-game, so I, too, would like to add our thanks the vigilant citizen, like the vendors who first noticed the suspicious vehicle.
This investigation, like others we've handled in the past year, once again reminds us that our work is not finished, and we will continue to work with our partners and our citizens across the country to find and stop those who do us harm.
Thank you. I'll turn it over to Commissioner Kelly.
RAY KELLY, NYC POLICE COMMISSIONER: Thank you, John. I think New Yorkers can rest a little easier today, and that's due in no small measure to the investigative muscle of FBI agents and New York City police detectives, not to mention the eagle-eyed work of the customs officials on duty last evening at JFK Airport. I particularly also want to commend Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York and all the very able assistance, very closely with the attorney general, not just on this case, but everyday to make certain that criminals in the southern district of New York are brought to justice.
Now, this Nissan Pathfinder in Times Square had a license plate from another vehicle. The VIN number on the dashboard had been removed. The break in this case took place when the New York City detective was able to go under the vehicle and get the hidden VIN number. This identified the owner of record, who in turn, as we know, sold it to the suspect, who drove it right into the heart of Times Square.
Now, this is deja vu because the World Trade Center attack in 1993 had similar set of facts, where a detective was able to get the VIN number off the Ryder truck that had exploded there. And if you recall, the bombers were arrested when they returned to get their deposit.
But they would have been no engine block to examine if it wasn't for the heroic work of the New York City bomb squad detectives. It was a very hot evening. They suited up in very oppressive gear, which I'm sure everyone saw, and they worked tirelessly through that evening, all through the next day.
So, if you look at the components, the timer, the gasoline cans, the M-88s, the propane tank, the gun box, put all of that together, that lethal assembly really made a very big hurt locker. And it wasn't until all of the parts of the bomb were taken down that we were able to tow that vehicle to a forensic garage.
Now, by my calculation, from the time Faisal Shahzad drove into and across Broadway and parked that vehicle, so when he was apprehended last evening at the JFK Airport, it was 53 hours and 20 minutes. Now, we know that Jack Bauer can do it in 24 minutes (sic). But in the real world, 53 is a pretty good number.
So, I want to congratulate everyone who had a role in this very important investigation, and really the fact that it was done in record time. And true, we can breathe easier, but we always have to be vigilant because in the eyes of a terrorist, New York is America, and they want to come back to kill us.
Thank you.
ERIC HOLDER, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Take any questions that you might have.
QUESTION: Attorney General, you said that the suspect provided useful information. Can you tell us whether he's provided any clarity as to whether he acted alone or acted in concert with others? Has he implicated anybody else?
HOLDER: The investigation is on going. I wouldn't want to reveal at this point anything of the information we've gleaned from him, other than to say that he has been talking to us and providing useful information.
QUESTION: Has he admitted involvement in this?
HOLDER: He has done that.
QUESTION: There are reports that there have been arrests in Pakistan related to this incident. Is that correct? If so, how many? And do you anticipate further arrests in this country?
HOLDER: As I said, the investigation is ongoing. And we -- our aim is to determine who exactly was involved in this matter to bring all those people who are involved to justice. I'm not aware of what the exact situation is with regard to the facts you talked about in Pakistan.
QUESTION: You're not aware of any arrests in Pakistan at this point?
HOLDER: I've heard reports, but I'm not in a position to confirm them.
QUESTION: "South Park" theory still on the table or is that gone? (AUDIO GAP)
HOLDER: The investigation is ongoing. I wouldn't want to talk about what we have -- where we are with regard to that.
QUESTION: How was he able to still get on the plane and have the plane depart from the gate when he was placed on the no-fly list? JANET NAPOLITANO, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: I won't get into details of timing at no-fly. But the way he was apprehended was that -- particularly since Christmas, CBP has been instituting a number of rules that enable us to further check against new data or information that is provided, even very recent information, against passenger manifests on planes.
And they had been working, as you might imagine, around the clock -- this one -- and so as new data was supplied over the course of the investigation yesterday, they were able to match it once the plane manifest was complete, go on the plane and arrest him.
QUESTION: Madam Secretary, are you saying if this had happened before Christmas, that plane may have taken off?
NAPOLITANO: No, I'm not saying that, Mike. What I'm saying is that in this particular case, some of the new rules were particularly useful in allowing us to arrest him before the plane took off.
QUESTION: Mr. Attorney General, can I ask you a question? There are local reports in Colorado suggesting this case may be related to the Zazi case, there might be something (INAUDIBLE). Have you found any of that? And there was talk about extensive travel, Mr. Shahzad's extensive travel overseas. Are you guys looking into whether he may have had some sort of military training or contacts with known terrorists?
HOLDER: We're examining a whole variety of things in connection with the questions that are being put to him and the questions that he is answering. We want to know as much as we can about his background, where he's gone, what he's done and so all of those things are being explored.
QUESTION: What about the Zazi case?
HOLDER: No comment on that. But I don't have any basis to believe, at least at this point, that there's any connection.
QUESTION: General Holder (sic), do you believe the suspect came to the U.S. with the intent of doing this?
HOLDER: I wouldn't want to comment on that. As I said, the investigation is ongoing, and we'll need to continue our interaction with him.
QUESTION: Was the suspect under surveillance, and did there come a point when he dropped off the radar yesterday?
PISTOLE: The number of individuals have come up in this investigation, and Mr. Shahzad was one that we identified as somebody that we would like to find out more information about. So, during the course of the investigation from Saturday night we identified him as a person that we would like to talk to.
We were able to locate him away from his house, which you saw on the news, Bridgeport, Connecticut, there. And then we were able to provide that information, as the secretary mentioned, to CBP for proper handling and other agencies in case he was stopped in another context. The bottom line was we were able to identify, locate, and then detain Mr. Shahzad.
QUESTION: One quick follow up. In terms of the travel of people to other areas where known terrorists are known to congregate, can someone talk about how the U.S. government has attempted to track those types of people? And what more can be done in that regard when they return to the United States?
PISTOLE: I can just comment from the FBI's perspective. And part of interagency, there are a number of steps taken to identify potential terrorists. Whether that's the country from which they originate in terms of terrorist training camps or the individuals they associate with. And obviously, to go into detail which might get into sources of methods of how those individuals might be identified, would not be appropriate.
QUESTION: We understand that when he returned from Pakistan he understands went a secondary screening after his last trip, and that contributed in some way to his arrest. Why was he screened when he came back and what was learned?
NAPOLITANO: Without getting into a lot of detail, he was screened when he came back because some of the targeting rules applied. He was subjected to secondary screening. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. And I'm just going to leave it at that.
QUESTION: You gave us a diagram of the bomb itself. Looking at this, what is your professional assessment? Is this an example of somebody who has had bomb making training, or is this kind of winging it?
PISTOLE: There are a number of opinions on that. You've heard most of them, I think. It does not appear, from our opinion, to be the most sophisticated device. There are a number of opportunities for the device to fail. There are actually three different components that could have been operational, but as was noted, certain portions such as the M-88s ignited but not the main charges of either the gasoline or the propane tanks.
QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) -- aspirational and operational, as someone once said?
PISTOLE: Well, he clearly had the intent to do harm. It's a question of whether his training and knowledge and the material that he had to the point of the fertilizer. The assessment -- the initial assessment is that it was probably not a sufficient grade to cause the type of explosion such as we saw, obviously the ammonium nitrate in fuel oil in Oklahoma City. So, clearly not that contents.
QUESTION: How long was he questioned under the public safety exception to Miranda -- and maybe the attorney general or somebody can walk us through the decision to terminate that and who made that decision and why? PISTOLE: From the FBI perspective, we won't go into detail in terms of how long. That's obviously a significant issue right now. Suffice to say that he provided valuable information and intelligence and evidence during that time. And then as the attorney general noted, he was Mirandized later and continued to cooperate and provide valuable information.
QUESTION: Attorney General, how close were you to losing him?
HOLDER: Well, I think obviously there was high confidence in CBP and their ability to do the job. They went beyond what I think most people would expect in terms of just checking -- is that what you were asking?
QUESTION: How close were you to losing him? I think you mentioned earlier you identified him by Saturday night. Is that correct? That early?
HOLDER: No. Sunday night.
QUESTION: Sunday night.
QUESTION: Attorney General Holder, could you answer the question about how close you were to losing him?
PISTOLE: I'm not sure to what you're referring.
QUESTION: How close were you to losing him when he was on that flight?
NAPOLITANO: Once he was -- they pulled him off -- they pulled the flight back, as you know, to the gate. They also had the authority, if the flight had actually taken off, to order the plane to turn around and come back.
HOLDER: Attorney General, I was here all yesterday and through much of last night, and was aware of the tracking that was going on. I was never in any fear that we were in danger of losing him.
QUESTION: Could you tell us whether or not New York is still under consideration for holding the terrorist end (ph) and other terror trials and, if so, does this incident give you pause in that respect?
HOLDER: Well, I think, unfortunately, New York and Washington, D.C. remain targets of people who would do this nation harm. Regardless of where a particular trial is, where a particular event is going to occur, I think that is going to remain true and is why we have to be especially vigilant in New York as well as in Washington.
We are considering a number of options with regard to where that trial might be held. I'll leave it at that.
QUESTION: New York is still among those that you're considering.
HOLDER: (OFF-MIKE) Yes. QUESTION: Commissioner Kelly, could you address whether this incident highlights any additional vulnerabilities in Midtown? Should there be more cameras, should there be additional resources put towards that?
KELLY: We had a lot of police officers and have today certainly on patrol in Times Square. This individual drove his vehicle up very quickly and left very quickly. But police officers were right immediately on the scene there. So you know, to that extent, we were present.
Would we like more cameras there? Yes. As a matter of fact, we have a program that, you know, we hope to have funded where we will take our Lomanhat (ph) security initiative, which consists of 3,000 cameras, public and private sector cameras, and migrate that program up to midtown Manhattan, from 30th Street to 60th Street. So, that's our goal. We have plans to do that. But sure, we would like more cameras.
QUESTION: Are you getting any more credibility to the claims of responsibility by the Taliban?
KELLY: I would refer that to other people on the panel here.
QUESTION: Mr. Kelly and Attorney General, (INAUDIBLE). Are we in a heightened state now? We had the underwear bomber case, we had the Zazi case targeting the subway system, and for eight years, it didn't seem like we had this pacing of terrorist attempts that were in sort of the final stages. Is it your sense that we're --
KELLY: In New York City, we have had now 11 plots directed at the city since September 11. So, we always see ourselves in a fairly high pace. You know, to a certain extent, nothing has changed in that regard. People coming to New York or planning to New York and trying to hurt us, trying to kill New Yorkers.
QUESTION: Mr. Kelly, can you talk about the cooperation between the FBI and New York City Police Department on this?
KELLY: It's seamless. People ask that question a lot. The answer is the same, and it's true. We are working extremely well together.
QUESTION: Attorney General, you referred to this as a terrorist plot. Can you give us any idea of whether we're talking about three people or more? Or, for example, internationally known terrorist group being part of this?
HOLDER: At this point, I think I'm going to say no more than what I have said in that regard. Okay. Thank you all very much.
HOLMES: All right. You've been listening there to the attorney general, also the homeland security secretary, giving an update. And certainly several things jump out after that press briefing that we saw go about 20, 20 plus minutes here. A lot of questions, people have about exactly what's happening. I'll tell you what we just found out. We just found out first of all about the charges this suspect is facing. The 30-year-old Faisal Shahzad, we'll put his picture up for you again. We're expecting him in court sometimes this afternoon. Here's the man now accused of trying to blow up a vehicle, a car bomb, in Times Square over the weekend.
Now, the charges are going to include an act of terrorism, also an attempt to use a weapon of mass destruction.
We also heard a short time before that press conference that, in fact, two people had been arrested in Pakistan in connection with this plot. The attorney general, however, says he is not familiar with that other than the reports he has seen, so he has gotten it, and he has not gotten any direct information about that.
Also, according to the attorney general, this man, Faisal Shahzad, has admitted involvement -- says he has admitted involvement. However, the attorney general would not say whether or not that man, the suspect, has actually said if he was acting alone.
Now, if something that also jumped out that is going to get a lot of attention is the fact that this suspect has now been Mirandized. What that means, of course, anybody who is arrested in this country as a U.S. citizen, you have the right to remain silent. You know how the Miranda rights go. This was a big point of contention when the underwear bomber who was in Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who was in Detroit, tried to blow up a plane that was landing in Detroit, some criticism of the administration for reading him his Miranda rights. Literally, they were saying he was singing like a songbird until he was actually Mirandized. Then he stopped talking.
According to the attorney general, this suspect in this New York bombing case, in fact, was not given his Miranda rights at first under something called the public safety exception to the Miranda rule. Essentially meaning if they believe there's an eminent public safety issue, they don't have to read you your rights. They can just get the information.
However, they say he was talking without being Mirandized and then he was, in fact, Mirandized later. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen, so he has been read his Miranda rights. But according to the attorney general, he continued to speak and give them information -- useful information, according to the attorney general.
Now, he -- several things. Several things he got to that we're certainly going to continue to get to as well, but we're expecting to see this man in court sometime today, possibly around 2:00 or sometime afterwards.
Our reporters are fanned out today. Our Allan Chernoff is near that courthouse, our Jeanne Meserve has been working the phones, as well, from Washington, D.C., giving us information. We are going to check in with both of these reporters in just a moment. But certainly a few things jumped out in the briefing we just got from our homeland security secretary and also the attorney general.
Don't go anywhere. This is a fast-moving story. Quick break. Be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: All right. Welcome back to our breaking news coverage.
We just got an update from the Justice Department about this investigation, a fast-moving investigation about this 30-year-old suspect in the case of trying to blow up, trying to set off a car bomb, in Times Square over the weekend. There he is, Faisal Shahzad, a 30-year-old man born in Pakistan. He's a naturalized U.S. citizen.
We'll head over to Jeanne Meserve as well as our Allan Chernoff. They're both standing by. Allan over at the courthouse, where we're expecting to see the suspect sometime today, but also our Jeanne Meserve has been working the phone for us diligently over the past several hours.
Jeanne, I know were listening to the press conference as well. A couple of things that jumped out and you were talking to me about was in fact this idea of whether or not he would be able to fly. The attorney general said, in fact, this man, this name, was put on a no- fly list, and they also had -- they were scoping out airports and airplanes for potential suspects immediately after the bomb was found in Times Square in the first place.
So, you pick up on that point, and also the fact that attorney general holder said he never was really in danger of losing him at all, even though it seemed like it was a close call.
JEANNE MESERVE, CNN HOMELAND SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yes. They did say that he was on this no-fly list, but if you listen carefully, they said because of upgraded procedures since the Christmas Day attempted bombing by the underwear bomber, they had been doing more continuous checks against the no-fly list. And Secretary Napolitano indicated that it was fairly late in the game that they got a hit and realized what they were dealing with, that the plane had indeed pulled away from the gate, had to be brought back.
She also did say something, which had not been obvious to me at least before, which was that they had the authority, even if the plane had taken off, to turn it around and bring it back to the U.S.
But, you know, another interesting aspect of this that I heard, was that even though they didn't want to comment about those arrests in Pakistan, one of the things he's being charged with is terrorism transcending national borders. So, we'll be wanting to hear more about that, but that is an indication -- another indication that indeed this goes beyond the United States.
Back to you.
HOLMES: Yes, it appears. Again, like you said, certainly little things in there to pick up on even if they weren't answering some questions directly.
Stand by, heading over to our Allan Chernoff now, who is at the courthouse where we could see this suspect for the first time today. And I guess you heard as well, Allan, some pretty heavy charges he'll be facing once he gets there.
ALLAN CHERNOFF, CNN SENIOR CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Charge of an act of terrorism, using a weapon of mass destruction. We should point out, though, we've just heard U.S. attorney's office has not yet contacted the clerk of the court here, so hasn't yet been put on the docket for the magistrate judge. That would be judge Kevin Fox, so we're still expecting it will happen this afternoon. The clerk for the judge earlier had told she that she did not anticipate this would happen prior to 3:00, so --you know how these things work. The clock can easily be pushed back and back.
HOLMES: All right. Yes, you're absolutely right about that, but we will be standing by, certainly when it does happen. We'll take our viewers live with any information we get.
Again, folks, this is a fast-moving story. You heard Commissioner Kelly from the New York police talking about Jack Bauer from the show "24." He can get it done in 24 hours. But still, he said they're pretty impressed that they could get this done, literally, from the time they found the bomb to the arrest was 53 hours. Which, in his words, he didn't mind tooting his own horn a little bit. Very impressive work, he said, by the New York police department and other officials.
We'll be right back. Quick break, but we know this goes beyond our borders here in the U.S., this whole investigation. So, we will take a trek across the globe to Pakistan, where this investigation is going on as well.
Don't go anywhere. Quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HOLMES: Turning now to our new segment, "Globe Trekking." New information on this situation, on this case we've been following. The arrest of the man, Faisal Shahzad, suspect right now in the failed car bomb attack in Times Square. We told you Shahzad is a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Pakistan. Authorities have been searching his home here in the U.S., and we are now going to take a look at the Pakistan connection.
Josh Levs doing our Globe Trekking for us. Josh, what do you have?
JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, T.J., as we do "Globe Trekking" today, we'll look at some of the key locations that we should know about in the entire case.
We'll start off, obviously, with Times Square, which is where everything happened. All began on Saturday evening. As you know, we're getting more and more details about the VIN, about the SUV, about the basics of the vehicle including what was in it. As we were just hearing from authorities minutes ago, some specifics.
Now we'll go to Bridgeport, Connecticut, because this is where it turns out that Faisal Shahzad was from. At this point, he attended the University of Bridgeport. Police have been searching through the area, looking through different homes.
Now, time to go across the world. Two locations you should know about. Actually, before we get to Pakistan, we'll go over here, because this is getting a little less attention, but this is Dubai. He was booked on a flight that would take him through Dubai over to Pakistan. He'd actually been to Dubai not long ago, and he ended up staying. The last time he flew to Dubai, he ended up staying out of the country for months. So, that's where the flight was going to originally go, en route to Pakistan.
Now, when we get to Pakistan, this is the key place to know about, Karachi. As we understand it, he had identity cards from Karachi, meaning he had a background in Karachi. Security forces in Pakistan, we're hearing from our people on the ground, have seized two or three people in a raid inside Karachi.
And Karachi is and has been and is for a long time a hotbed of insurgency inside Pakistan. In fact, not long ago, I spoke with our Reza Sayah, who is reporting from Pakistan about the problems in Karachi. Here's part of what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REZA SAYAH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Karachi is the southern port city in Pakistan. It's the biggest city in -- in Pakistan.
And in recent years, when the security forces here in Pakistan, and also those U.S. drone strikes, have put pressure on the tribal region, a lot of the militants, a lot of the Taliban commanders, especially the Afghan Taliban commanders, have taken refuge in Karachi.
And if you've ever been to Karachi, you know why. This is a crowded, chaotic city. It's easy to get lost in, and that's why a lot of militant leaders in the past couple of years have gone over there to hide. In fact, over the past few months we've had a number of Afghan Taliban leaders arrested by Pakistani security forces in Karachi, so it's a great place to hide. What was Faisal Shahzad doing in Karachi? Obviously it's not clear right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEVS: Now, we're going to be hearing more from Reza next hour, including a conversation about Pakistan in general. Lots of you out there are wondering, how much can the United States trust Pakistan at this point to crack down on terrorism, to crack down on insurgency, to deal with some of these troubled areas to clean up Karachi? We're going to be getting some answers from Reza about that.
And, T.J., as we go "Globe-Trekking," and we look at Pakistan, this is just one of the most important locations today as we think about those problems inside Karachi, what will be done and what might have been done if, for some reason, he had more and more connections in that area, how much will we ever find out. A lot of eyes right now on Karachi -- T.J.
HOLMES: All right, Josh. We appreciate you. We'll check in with you again in just a bit.
LEVS: You got it.
