Face of man who admits Times Square bomb plot

A Pakistani man arrested as he tried to flee the US was today reported to have admitted carrying out the failed Times Square bombing in a solo terror mission.

US law enforcement officials said Faisal Shahzad, a 30-year-old naturalised American citizen, had told investigators that he was acting alone when he parked his explosive-laden Nissan Pathfinder in the tourist hotspot on Saturday night.

His claim — which was being treated with caution by the US authorities — came only hours after the suspect was detained by US border guards shortly before he was due to take off from New York's JFK airport for Dubai.

Some reports said that the plane had already left the departure gate, while there was further speculation that Shazhad, who had recently returned from a five month trip to Pakistan, was linked to radical groups in his country of birth.

As the suspect prepared to appear in court today to face charges over the failed attack, officials revealed that he was denying the involvement of any accomplices.

"He's claimed to have acted alone. He did admit to all the charges," one source told the Reuters news agency.

"He's admitted to buying the truck, putting the devices together, putting them in the truck, leaving the truck there and leaving the scene."

The dramatic arrest came after detectives investigating the attempted car bombing found that he had bought the Nissan used in the attack three weeks ago.

The vehicle, which was left in Times Square with its engine running and hazard lights flashing, was packed with gas cylinders, 100 kilos of fertiliser, fireworks and petrol to create a device which officials say was intended to cause mass casualties.

In an apparent error, Shahzad had chosen a harmless type of fertiliser, instead of the highly explosive ammonium nitrate which would have vastly increased the force of any blast.

Announcing the arrest, US Attorney General Eric Holder warned that despite the blunder, the plot was of the utmost gravity and indicated that other potential suspects were being sought.

"The intent behind this terrorist act was to kill Americans," he said.

"This investigation is ongoing, as are our attempts to gather useful intelligence, and we continue to pursue a number of leads. We will not rest until we have brought everyone responsible to justice."