Faisal Shahzad, who pleaded guilty in June to terrorism charges after attempting to detonate a car bomb in Times Square, was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court to life in prison without parole.
In May, Shahzad drove an SUV packed with propane tanks, fireworks and fertilizer into Times Square. His makeshift bomb was an attempt to kill a large number of civilians, but the bomb fizzled, and a nearby T-shirt vendor alerted police to the smoking SUV.
He was arrested two days later at JFK Airport, after boarding a plane bound for Dubai.
According to prosecutors, Shahzad had traveled to Pakistan to receive terrorist training and funding from a terror group known as Tehrik-e-Taliban. Prosecutors also say Shahzad told them he wanted to kill about 40 people with his bomb, and planned to plant another bomb in New York two weeks later if the first had been successful.
Shahzad was reportedly defiant in court today.
“Brace yourself because the war with the Muslims has only just begun,” he told the judge, according to the New York Post. “The defeat of the US is imminent and will happen in the near future.”
“We are committed to using every instrument of national power to fight terrorism,” Dean Boyd, a DOJ spokesman, said. “In each instance, we will use the tool that is most effective for the particular matter at hand, whether it be a trial in federal court, a military commission prosecution, an intelligence solution, or other option. We will make those decisions based on pragmatism.”
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