Miranda rights and alleged Times Square bomber: questions linger
Faisal Shahzad was read his Miranda rights on Tuesday, say US officials, who declined to say exactly when. The alleged Times Square bomber has continued talking to investigators after advised of his right to remain silent and to have an attorney present, they say.
Police officers stand guard in front of the United States Court House in New York Tuesday. Times Square bomber suspect Faisal Shahzad, was allegedly read his Miranda rights but continues to talk to investigators.
Craig Ruttle/AP
The suspect in the attempted car-bombing in New York’s Times Square is talking to interrogators and has already provided valuable intelligence and evidence, including an admission of involvement in the plot, US officials said on Tuesday.
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Faisal Shahzad was questioned immediately after his arrest late Monday night and the interrogation continued through the early hours of Tuesday.
“He was … cooperative and provided valuable intelligence and evidence,” Assistant FBI Director John Pistone said at a press conference in Washington.
Attorney General Eric Holder declined to reveal the content of any Shahzad statements, but he did confirm that Mr. Shahzad admitted involvement in the attempted car bombing. “He has been talking to us and providing us with useful information,” Mr. Holder said.
Officials refused to say how long the questioning took place before federal agents administered Miranda warnings – informing Shahzad of his right to remain silent and consult a lawyer. They said that sometime on Tuesday he was transported from his initial interrogation site to a different location, where Miranda warnings were given.
Mr. Pistone said Shahzad has continued talking after receiving the warnings.
The initial questioning was conducted under the public-safety exception to the general requirement that suspects be issued Miranda warnings, Pistone said. Courts have recognized an exception to the Miranda rule in instances when fast action is necessary to prevent or defuse an ongoing threat to public safety.
The issue of how soon to give a freshly arrested terrorism suspect Miranda warnings is a point of bitter contention between the attorney general and many congressional Republicans. The issue arose after the arrest of the attempted Christmas Day bomber on a commercial airliner in Detroit.
In that case, the suspect, Umar Abdulmutallab, was questioned for about 50 minutes before he was advised of his right to remain silent. He then chose to exercise that right.
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