JOIN USPak Taliban behind failed bomb attempt: US Attorney General
The evidence has given new direction to the fight against terrorism, as investigations into the Times Square incident has revealed that the Pakistani Taliban has the “aim” and “capability” in carrying out attacks against the United States.
“We’ve now developed evidence that shows that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack,” US Attorney General Eric Holder told ABC television’s Sunday current affairs talk show “This Week.”
“We know that they (Pakistani Taliban) helped facilitate it. We know that they probably helped finance it, and that he (Shahzad) was working at their direction,” he said. US officials have been maintaining that Pakistani Taliban could be behind the failed attempt. A video purportedly released by the Pakistani Taliban had claimed responsibility for the attacks, but the outfit rejected it immediately.
“I’m not sure that we didn’t think they had that ability. We didn’t think that necessarily was their aim. We certainly have seen with the Shahzad incident that they have not only the aim, but the capability of doing that.
“And that’s why they have taken on, I think, a new significance in our anti-terror fight,” he said.
In a separate interview, President Barack Obama’s Homeland and Counter-terrorism adviser John Brennan also said US authorities believe that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the failed attempt.
“It looks like he (Shahzad) was working on behalf of the TTP, the Pakistani Taliban,” Brennan said. “This group is closely allied with al-Qaeda. This is something that we’re taking very seriously.”
Holder said there is nothing in the investigation which suggests that the Pakistani government was aware of the Taliban efforts.
Cooperation
He said the US is satisfied with the cooperation from Pakistan with regard to investigations in the Times Square accident. “We want to make sure that kind of cooperation continues. To the extent that it does not, we will, as Secretary Clinton indicated, take the appropriate steps. But as of now, with regard to Shahzad, I think we’re satisfied with the level of cooperation we’ve received,” Holder said when asked about the remarks of Clinton on CBS news.
Responding to a question, Holder said it is difficult to keep track of all the people coming from Pakistan every year.