Faisal Shahzad: 'War With Muslims Has Just Begun'

Faisal Shahzad pleaded guilty in failed car bomb attack.

ByABC News
September 29, 2010, 4:28 PM

Oct. 5, 2010 — -- Faisal Shahzad, who attempted to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square on a crowded Saturday night, was sentenced to life in federal prison without parole today.

Before she pronounced sentence, Judge Miriam Cedarbaum said, "Mr. Shahzad, I think you should get up."

Shahzad, wearing a white prayer cap, said "Allahu Akbar" after hearing the sentence, and said he would "sacrifice a thousand lives for Allah."

"War with Muslims has just begun," said Shahzad, who then predicted that "the defeat of the US is imminent, god willing."

Shahzad also said he was happy with "the deal" God had given him. "We have laws made by Allah. We don't need laws made by humans."

"I do hope you spend time in prison thinking about whether the Koran gives you the right to kill innocent people," said Judge Cedarbaum.

CLICK HERE to follow the ABC News Investigative Team's coverage on Twitter.

She also reminded Shahzad that he'd sworn an oath of allegiance to the US when he became a citizen.

"I did swear but I did not mean it," said Shahzad.

"It's only right that Shahzad forfeit his freedom for life for having tried to forfeit the lives of New Yorkers forever," said New York police commissioner Ray Kelly.

"Faisal Shahzad is a remorseless terrorist who betrayed his adopted country and today was rightly sentenced to spend the rest of his life in federal prison," said US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Shahzad pleaded guilty in June to the failed May 1 attack, and admitted receiving terror training from the Pakistani Taliban. Two of the ten different terror and weapons charges to which he pleaded carry mandatory life sentences.

The 31-year-old naturalized American, who was born in Pakistan and lived in Connecticut, warned in June that further terror attacks were coming.

After Shahzad had pleaded guilty to the first charge, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, Judge Cedarbaum said, "I gather you want to plead guilty to all [the charges.]

"Yes," said Shahzad, and then said he wanted to plead guilty and 100 times more," because he wanted the U.S. to know it will continue to suffer attacks if it does not leave Iraq and Afghanistan and stop drone strikes in Pakistan.

Calm, but clearly angry, and standing the whole time, Shahzad spent nearly an hour giving the judge a narrative of his failed bombing attempt, and how he changed from a financial analyst with an MBA to a would-be bomber and what he called "part of the answer" to the U.S. killing of Muslims. He also confirmed that he had placed the bomb in Times Square at its busiest in order to do the maximum damage.

Shahzad admitted driving a Nissan Pathfinder into midtown Manhattan on Saturday evening, May 1, when the city's theater district was packed with tourists. He abandoned the SUV, which was stuffed with fireworks, propane, gasoline and fertilizer, after trying to use the fireworks to ignite the vehicle.

Shahzad's exchange with Judge Cedarbaum began with Shahzad reading a prepared statement. Cedarbaum then asked Shahzad not to read, but to speak instead.

CLICK HERE to follow ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross on Twitter.

Shahzad told Cedarbaum it took him six months to connect with the Taliban in Pakistan. He said he then spent 40 days with the Taliban in Waziristan, only five of which were devoted to bomb training.

\"It's only right that Shahzad forfeit his freedom for life for having tried to forfeit the lives of New Yorkers forever,\" said New York police commissioner Ray Kelly.

\"Faisal Shahzad is a remorseless terrorist who betrayed his adopted country and today was rightly sentenced to spend the rest of his life in federal prison,\" said US Attorney Preet Bharara.

Shahzad pleaded guilty in June to the failed May 1 attack, and admitted receiving terror training from the Pakistani Taliban. Two of the ten different terror and weapons charges to which he pleaded carry mandatory life sentences.

The 31-year-old naturalized American, who was born in Pakistan and lived in Connecticut, warned in June that further terror attacks were coming.

After Shahzad had pleaded guilty to the first charge, attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, Judge Cedarbaum said, \"I gather you want to plead guilty to all [the charges.]

\"Yes,\" said Shahzad, and then said he wanted to plead guilty and 100 times more,\" because he wanted the U.S. to know it will continue to suffer attacks if it does not leave Iraq and Afghanistan and stop drone strikes in Pakistan.

Calm, but clearly angry, and standing the whole time, Shahzad spent nearly an hour giving the judge a narrative of his failed bombing attempt, and how he changed from a financial analyst with an MBA to a would-be bomber and what he called \"part of the answer\" to the U.S. killing of Muslims. He also confirmed that he had placed the bomb in Times Square at its busiest in order to do the maximum damage.

Shahzad admitted driving a Nissan Pathfinder into midtown Manhattan on Saturday evening, May 1, when the city's theater district was packed with tourists. He abandoned the SUV, which was stuffed with fireworks, propane, gasoline and fertilizer, after trying to use the fireworks to ignite the vehicle.

Shahzad's exchange with Judge Cedarbaum began with Shahzad reading a prepared statement. Cedarbaum then asked Shahzad not to read, but to speak instead.

CLICK HERE to follow ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross on Twitter.

Shahzad told Cedarbaum it took him six months to connect with the Taliban in Pakistan. 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