Pakistan Taliban May Be In On Shahzad Plot

CBS News, New York

By: Sean Hennessey

May 6, 2010

Two days of intense questions have revealed a chilling connection in the Times Square bombing. The suspect, Faisal Shahzad, apparently has stronger ties to a terror group than we knew. This as New York's leaders pushed to close the loophole that allowed Shahzad to board a plane headed overseas.

A CBS News exclusive picture shows Faisal Shahzad posing with family in Times Square about a year and a half ago, and as the camera pans, you could see the picture was taken steps away from where the naturalized American left his SUV packed with explosives that failed to detonate Saturday night.

Authorities have linked Shahzad's cell phone to calls from Pakistan, where authorities told the New York Times on Wednesday night the Taliban there may be involved. The State Department is counting on the Pakistan government's help.

"They recognize, as we do, that this is a shared responsibility, and a shared threat to both of us," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

The Pakistani Taliban is the first group to claim responsibility for what happened in Times Square, as early as Sunday. At the time authorities discounted that claim, but now with all the question of the suspect, and in the wake of the evidence, it appears authorities are rethinking that stance.

Since Shahzad's arrest Monday night, we're learning more about what investigators knew and when the suspect began to plan.

"It appears from some of his other activities that March is when he decided to put this plan in motion," NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

March is when the married father of two purchased a gun after returning from a five-month trip to Pakistan, where he's told authorities he received bomb-making training.

"What we're starting to see more and more -- the unguided missiles. By that I mean they are given some training in terrorism and they are told to just go do something," said Harry Brandon, a former deputy assistant director for the FBI.

The FBI didn't start watching Shahzad, who lived a fairly ordinary life in Connecticut, until late Sunday when they discovered he bought the SUV. But sometime Monday they lost him in traffic.

Despite being put on the no-fly list Monday morning, the naturalized American was able to buy a last-minute ticket to Dubai and board the plane.

"This guy never should have gotten on a plane. The terror watch list had been updated but the airline hadn't checked the terror watch list," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said.

Emirates Airlines said it was working with an outdated no-fly list. Despite that, authorities discovered Shahzad's name on the passenger manifest airlines turn in 30 minutes before the flight. That's when they pulled the would-be bomber off the plane.

"They said, 'You have to come with us sir' and he was escorted out of the plane by three officers," said passenger Azza Abou Al-Magd.

Shahzad was unfazed, saying "What took you so long? I was expecting this. Are you FBI or NYPD?"

In the wake of the security gap, the TSA announced Wednesday all airlines will check the no-fly list every two hours if it's been updated with a new name instead of every 24 hours.

"It seemed common sense to the president," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Investigators have video of the would-be bomber in Times Square Saturday night and of him buying fireworks at a Pennsylvania store last month, explosives that didn't do what he expected.

"I think he thought these products were more powerful than they actually were, yes," Phantom Fireworks vice president William Weimer said.