Would-be Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad has admitted his involvement in the failed attempt and is answering questions. Answering questions, I might add, after being Mirandized and without being tortured.
Faisal Shahzad was on board a Dubai-bound flight that was taxiing away from the gate at Kennedy Airport when the plane was stopped and FBI agents and New York Police Department detectives took him into custody late Monday, law enforcement officials said. One official said he claimed to have acted alone.
"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," Holder said.
Shahzad is being questioned and has provided valuable information to investigators, Holder said.
Also, it looks like the system worked. Sort of, anyway.
U.S. government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Shahzad made his last-minute flight reservation on the way to the airport and paid for his ticket in cash. The airline flagged the reservation and alerted authorities, reports CBS News national security correspondent Bob Orr.
According to officials, Shahzad was placed on the federal no-fly list after authorities identified him. However, the addition was so recent that his name failed to trigger an automatic alert, an administration official told CBS News.
Yeah, having the plane heading toward the runway when it was stopped is just a little too close for comfort. Perhaps the DHS should consider using Twitter and the hashtag #noflylist for those real time updates, because it appears there's still just a bit too much lag time between identification and notification.
(h/t Alan Colmes)
