Grand jury indicts Times Square bomb suspect

Faisal ShahzadAccording to the official reports, a grand jury on Thursday indicted the suspect in an attempted attack on Times Square and U. S. officials said the Pakistani Taliban "facilitated" the failed attack.

It has been reported that the federal grand jury in New York handed up a 10-count indictment against Faisal Shahzad, 30, a naturalized U. S. citizen who was born in Pakistan. He was arrested May 3 and charged with trying to set off a car bomb May 1 in the busy entertainment district of New York.

The New York Times also reported that one of the counts listed in the indictment accuses Shahzad of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

The indictment alleges Shahzad received explosives training in December 2009 in Waziristan, Pakistan, from people with ties to Tehrik-i-Taliban. Justice Department officials said the group is affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban.

U. S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement, "The facts alleged in this indictment show that the Pakistani Taliban facilitated Faisal Shahzad's attempted attack on American soil."

The newspaper further said that the indictment alleges Shahzad received funding from a co-conspirator in Pakistan, which he used to acquire material for a car bomb and the vehicle he allegedly tried to rig to explode in Times Square.

It was also reported by The Times that lawyers for Shahzad did not comment on the indictment. (With Inputs from Agencies)