Taliban Likely Had Role in Times Square Bomb Attempt, Report Says

Mounting evidence drawn from terror suspect Faisal Shahzad and other sources suggests the Pakistani Taliban played some part in the attempted car-bombing in New York, raising fears that militant groups other than al-Qaeda are trying to attack targets in the United States, the New York Times reported.

After two days of questioning Shahzad, according to the Times, officials have evidence that the Taliban helped train and inspire the man charged with leaving a smoking, explosives-laden SUV at an intersection in Times Square Saturday night. The report did not identify the investigators interviewed and said sources didn't reveal the nature of the evidence beyond what was learned from Shahzad, who was born in Pakistan but became a naturalized American citizen.

A day before the attempted mayhem, the accused man made a test drive into Manhattan, dropped off a get-away car a few blocks from his targeted area and returned by train to his apartment in Bridgeport, Conn., a law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The account of a rehearsal supports the theory that Shahzad prepared for the attack on his own -- at least during his time in the U.S., the AP said. Shahzad had moved his family to Pakistan, but returned by himself to this country five months ago.

An intense investigation, spanning two continents, continued Thursday, amid calls for tighter security in the U.S., including closer scrutiny of passengers who buy airline tickets with cash, as did Shahzad.

An Obama administration official cautioned that "there are no smoking guys yet" to show that the Pakistani Taliban directed the failed bombing. The group is an offshoot of the Taliban in Afghanistan.