Times Square Car-Bomb Suspect Faisal Shahzad Confesses to Plot, Charged as Terrorist

Saturday night: A smoking Pathfinder clears out Times Square in what's now understood as a failed car bombing. Three days later: There's a suspect in federal custody. And that suspect just admitted his role in what's being recognized as a terrorist plot, and has now been charged as a terrorist by the federal government.

CNN reports that 30-year-old Pakistani-American Faisal Shahzad -- who was arrested last night trying to flee the country to Islamabad, Pakistan on Emirates Airlines Flight 202 via Dubai -- admitted to trying to blow up an explosive in Times Square, as per U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder.

Via Politico, here's the audio of Shahzad's plane being called back to the gate in his attempt to escape the country:

Shahzad was just granted U.S. citizenship a little over a year ago. He'd been living in Shelton, Connecticut, since at least 2006, with his wife, two children, and two sisters. They owned a house they'd purchased in July 2004 until July 2009, three months after Shahzad received his citizenship. His wife told neighbors they were moving to Missouri, although last September, foreclosure proceedings began on his house. His family in Pakistan, where he still has a citizenship card, hails from what's characterized as the "volatile northwestern" region, one "where government forces have been fighting Taliban militants." Pakistani authorities have also started raids in connection with the failed bombing attempt and arrested three people.

Elsewhere, Mayor Bloomberg thinks Shahzad might've been pissed off about health care, also appears to have been incorrect when he told Katie Couric that there wasn't a conspiracy at work (wrong), and is reminding the residents of New York City that he won't be tolerating any bias from us, because the residents of New York City need to be told that kind of thing, apparently.

[fkamer@villagevoice.com]