Legal Commentary

Times Square Car Bomb Suspect Indicted

By Jeralyn

Shahzad Faisal, accused of planning to explode a car bomb in Times Square, has been indicted on terror charges. The Indictment is here.

The Indictment alleges Faisal conspired with a Pakistani Taliban group called Tehrik-e-Taliban. It says someone Faisal knew in Pakistan, who worked for that group, wired money that ended up with Faisal. (It's not clear whether the money was wired directly to Faisal or whether it was wired to a third person who then gave Faisal the cash.)

[The Indictment] said Shahzad received approximately $5,000 in cash in Massachusetts on Feb. 25 from a co-conspirator in Pakistan whom Shahzad understood worked for Tehrik-e-Taliban.

Approximately six weeks later, on April 10, 2010, Shahzad received an $7,000 more in cash in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., which also was sent at the co-conspirator's direction, the indictment said.

While the Indictment alleges a conspiracy, and says Faisal received terror training in various places, and he and "others known and unknown" intended to cause destruction here, I don't see any allegation that any another specific individual knew what he had planned or when. [More...]

I don't see anything alleging those in Pakistan knew he was going to try to set off a car bomb in Times Square. It seems to me the Times Square plot was him acting on his own, with the group providing training and two friends providing money for some unspecified action.

Authorities have said they believed Shahzad acted alone in carrying out the bomb plot after receiving financial and other help from the Pakistani Taliban. Shahzad had returned in February from a five-month trip to his homeland.

Federal investigators believe money was channeled through an underground money transfer network known as "hawala," but they have said they doubt anyone in the U.S. who provided money knew what it was for.

Will anyone else be charged? Had Faisal given up names during his weeks of "voluntary" statements, or if those who wired or gave him the money knew what he was going to do with it, I'd expect to see such persons charged.

Three men believed to have provided money to Faisal were arrested a while back on immigration charges. While one was transferred to New York, none were charged in today's Indictment.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on June 17, 2010 (boomark / email).