FBI chasing terror-related leads on Times Square bomber

New York, May 5 (ANI): American law enforcement officials have said that Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad's simple but potentially devastating plot represents one of their worst fears - small, frequent strikes instead of a massive assault.

"In the eyes of terrorists, New York is America and they want to come back to kill us," the New York Daily News quoted New York's Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly, as saying.

Former NYPD Commissioner William Bratton agreed.

"This is more worrisome because [it's] harder to detect and prevent," he said.

Police officials and federal investigators said that they were chasing every possible terror-related lead linked to 30-year-old Shahzad, who was nabbed on Monday, minutes before flying out of New York.

They said that Shahzad built his makeshift bomb in a Connecticut garage after undergoing explosives training in a remote Taliban-run region of Pakistan.

"The timers, the wires, the M-88s, the propane tanks, the gasoline containers and the gun locker filled with fertilizer. The whole lethal assembly turned the Pathfinder into one big hurt locker," Commissioner Kelly said.

Shahzad was arrested shortly after the plane's doors closed about 11 p.m. He was pulled off the plane, which was allowed to head to the runway, only to be summoned back so two more passengers could be questioned. They were later released.

Passengers said police were so discreet they didn't know the three were removed until they saw a TV report in the airport lounge while waiting to reboard.

Officials believe the mixup in letting the terror suspect board the flight was the airline's fault.

A spokeswoman for Emirates declined to comment on the accusation. (ANI)