In Pakistan, Shahzad does have some relatives in Karachi, but his father’s family lives near Peshawar, in a suburb called Hayatabad. This story in the International News, a Pakistani newspaper, states that his father is a retired Air Vice Marshal in the Pakistan Air Force.
Air Vice Marshal (R) Baharul Haq, father of Faisal Shahzad, the accused in New York’s failed bomb plot, hurriedly vacated the family home in Hayatabad town here late Tuesday apparently to avoid attention.
Eyewitnesses said he packed some belongings in a vehicle and left the house located in Phase IV of the posh Hayatabad town along with male and female members of the family. Their destination wasn’t known.
Earlier, members of the media, in particularly TV crews had converged on the house in a bid to talk to family members and learn more about Faisal Shahzad, who was arrested Tuesday in the US on charges of plotting the vehicle bomb attack and now accused of an attempted act of terrorism. However, nobody in Air Vice Marshal (R) Baharul Haq’s household or the neighbours were ready to talk to reporters. A Geo TV reporter was shown outside the house trying to engage in conversation with neighbours. Some people in the neighbourhood expressed ignorance about Faisal Shahzad’s arrest in the US. (link)
What is there to learn from this? First, I think it reaffirms that potential terrorists could come from virtually any economic and educational background; a surprising number of major terror suspects in recent years have had advanced degrees (Shahzad has an MBA). Second, there’s hardly a long history of identification with extremist ideology here. With a big smile and a bluetooth headset in his ear, he looks like he should be selling me cell phone accessories at the AT&T store, not wiring amateur bombs. Finally, this guy is the son of a senior officer in the military, a powerful institution in Pakistan, with several other male family members apparently also in the military. They are undoubtedly deeply embarrassed by all this.
In the days and weeks to come, I’m sure we’ll learn more about Faisal Shahzad. Judging from the many mistakes he made in assembling a bomb (with the wrong kind of fertilizer! propane tanks that weren’t opened! completely useless wiring and timers!), my guess is that he had little, if any, “training.” It seems more like a version of the American dream gone horribly awry: something snapped.
Tell tell sign of desi resume, generous use of ‘more than’ or ‘over x years’.
So much for the lone terrorist theory:
“Times Square Bombing Investigation Focuses on Suspected Role of Pakistani Army Major” “Allegations about the major, if confirmed, would deepen U.S. concerns about the role of the Pakistani military and intelligence in the fight against terrorism. Figures linked to the Pakistani armed forces and intelligence agencies have surfaced in previous terror cases, especially those involving Punjab-based extremist groups that target India and have a history of ties to the security forces. In January, federal prosecutors in Chicago indicted a retired Pakistani major who allegedly worked with a Pakistani-American businessman and al-Qaida operatives in a plot against the Danish newspaper that published the caricatures of the prophet Mohamed in 2005.
The potential involvement of a military man in an attack against New York City would set a troubling precedent. The news of the arrest comes during a visit to Pakistan by National Security Advisor James Jones and CIA director Leon Panetta. The U.S. officials were in Pakistan to discuss stepping up cooperation in the Times Square investigation, and the larger battle against al-Qaida and its allies, with Pakistani leaders. …President Obama’s counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, said Shahzad is the latest in a series of American terror suspects who allegedly got training and support from militant networks overseas.
“They took advantage of their U.S. personage and their U.S citizenship and were operating in many respects not necessarily alone, but in manners that made it more difficult for us to detect,” Brennan said during a policy dinner Tuesday sponsored by The Nixon Center. He added: “These are the ones I am concerned about.”
The intelligence community is poring over thousands of e-mails Shahzad sent to friends and associates in Pakistan. Some communications allude to his desire to carry out an attack. Many of his claims are being corroborated through suspects in custody in Pakistan who are also cooperating, according to an official familiar with the investigation.
It was Shahzad’s statements to investigators that led to the arrest of the former major in Pakistan. “
I found this page by accident. I have read all the comments. I take it many of you are Indian or Pakistani. A lot of insight. I am very glad you are here.