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Times Square bomb suspect arrested on Dubai-bound flight

May 4, 2010 8:41 by Katherine Azmeh

A suspect in the failed Times Square bomb attempt was last night arrested in New York as he attempted to board a Dubai-bound Emirates flight.

Faisal Shahzad, a US citizen of Pakistani descent who is believed to have driven the vehicle used in failed attack, was apprehended shortly before flight EK202 to Dubai was due to take off.

Initial press reports claim Shahzad and two others were apprehended on the aircraft as it prepared to take off, while other sources said that Shahzad was stopped in New York’s JFK airport before boarding.

The suspect is described as the driver and owner of the car used in the failed plot.

The car, identified as a 1993 Nissan Pathfinder, was left running on West 45th Street near Broadway Saturday night. An unexploded bomb made from petrol, gas, and fireworks was discovered inside the vehicle and defused before it could explode.

The Taliban in Pakistan had reportedly claimed responsibility for the failed attempt, saying it was a revenge act for the killing of two al Qaeda operatives in Iraq last month, but New York’s police commissioner had said there was “no evidence” to back the al Qaeda claim, media reported yesterday.

Times Square is a busy, popular area of Midtown Manhattan for diners, theater patrons, and tourists. Airport security measures were reportedly enhanced on the US East coast following Saturday’s incident, media had reported.

Tags: al Qaeda, car bombing, emirates, failed car bomb, manhattan, Michael bloomberg, midtown, New York, Nissan pathfinder, Pakistan Taliban claims responsibility, suv, Taliban responsibility, times square