Times Square Bomb Attempt: Pakistani Army Officer Knew of Plot, Report Says

Investigators in the attempted Times Square car bomb case are focusing on a Pakistani army major who may have known about Faisal Shahzad's plans to attack targets in the United States months before the botched incident in New York City.

The unidentified major, who was arrested in Pakistan this week, is suspected of having links to the militant Pakistani Taliban, according to ProPublica, a non-profit investigative team of journalists. Few details have surfaced about the arrest, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The officer, who has resigned from the military, learned of Shahzad's plan from another suspect accused of financing the operation. But he did not inform authorities in Pakistan of the unfolding plot.


U.S. officials now believe Pakistani militants were aware of Shahzad's scheme and helped finance it, but did not assist in his choice of targets or other details, ProPublica said. The involvement of the army major, if confirmed, would add to U.S. worries about the role that Pakistan's military plays in intelligence gathering and the war against terrorism in the region.

Shahzad, 30, appears to have received limited training from the Pakistani Taliban in North Waziristan. It is believed he received $17,000 in Karachi from the associate of the arrested army officer.