Officials: Times Square bomb suspect got Taliban support

This undated booking mug released by the U.S. Marshal's Service shows Faisal Shahzad. The man accused of plotting a car bombing in New York's Times Square made his first appearance Tuesday, May 18, 2010, in a Manhattan courtroom where he was told by a magistrate judge that he had the right to remain silent. Authorities say Faisal Shahzad's willingness to talk kept him out of court for two weeks, speeding up the progress of an investigation into his May 1 plot to set off a homemade car bomb. The hearing lasted only 10 minutes. Shahzad, 30, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, confirmed with a "yes" that his

NEW YORK (AP) — Two federal law enforcement officials say the Times Square bomb suspect claimed he received financial support from the Pakistani Taliban for his failed one-man terror operation.

The officials close to the probe tell The Associated Press they believe money for Faisal Shahzad’s plans was channeled through a money network known as “hawala.”

But the officials say the people suspected of providing Shahzad money in the U.S. — including three people detained in Massachusetts and Maine — did not know what the money would be used for.

The officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the investigation is not yet completed.

Shahzad is charged with abandoning a homemade gasoline-and-propane bomb in an SUV in Times Square on May 1. The bomb didn’t go off.

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