An update on this story. “Pakistan arrests man with militant ties who says he aided Times Square bomb suspect,” by Greg Miller for the Washington Post, May 14:
The Pakistani government has arrested a suspect with connections to a Pakistani militant group who said he acted as an accomplice to the man accused of trying to bomb Times Square, U.S. officials said.
The suspect, whose arrest has not been previously disclosed, provided an “independent stream” of evidence that the Pakistani Taliban were behind the attempt and has admitted helping Faisal Shahzad, the main suspect, travel into Pakistan’s tribal belt for bomb training.
Officials familiar with the investigation cautioned about inconsistencies in the two suspects’ accounts. Federal authorities expanded their search for evidence Thursday, carrying out raids in four northeastern states, and arresting three people suspected of funneling money to Shahzad.
Still, the U.S. determination that the Pakistani Taliban directed the attempted attack is based largely on accounts given by the two men, several U.S. officials said. Authorities have been examining phone records, e-mail and other communication to see whether they contain firmer evidence of links between Shahzad and the Pakistani Taliban.
“What they said has been corroborated by other evidence,” said a senior law enforcement source, who would not specify that evidence, saying it is classified.
The suspect in Pakistani custody “is believed to have a connection to the TTP,” said a U.S. intelligence official, using an acronym for the Pakistani Taliban. Clues have added to authorities’ understanding of the plot, the official said, but “what is definitely true is that a lot of this comes from the statements of people directly involved.”
Assessing the role of the Pakistani Taliban carries significant stakes. A clear link would move the militant group onto an expanding list of al-Qaeda affiliates that pose a direct threat to the United States. It would also put new pressure on the U.S. relationship with Pakistan at a time when President Obama is pushing the country to expand its military campaign against insurgent groups….