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Tuesday, May 4, 2010 3:33 PM UTC

Obama: FBI looking for foreign ties in attack

The president vows that "justice will be done"

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Topics: Times Square Bomb Attempt,

The FBI is investigating the suspect in last weekend’s failed Times Square car bombing for possible ties to terrorist groups, President Barack Obama said Tuesday.

Speaking hours after a suspect was pulled off a plane about to depart for the Middle East, Obama said “justice will be done” in the incident.

The president said “hundreds of lives” may have been saved through quick action by ordinary citizens and local, state and federal authorities on Saturday night.

“We know that the aim of those who try to carry out” attacks like the one last weekend is to force Americans to live in fear, Obama said.

“As Americans and as a nation, we will not be terrorized. We will not cower in fear. We will not be intimidated,” he vowed.

The president made his comments at the annual meeting of the Business Council.

Earlier, spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters that Obama had been informed a few minutes after midnight about the arrest of a suspect, Faisal Shahzad.

Shahzad, a Pakistan-born U.S. citizen, is suspected of driving a bomb-laden SUV into Times Square last Saturday and parking it on a street lined with restaurants and Broadway theaters. He was expected in court to face charges that he tried to set off a massive fireball and kill Americans, federal authorities said.

Shahzad, was taken into custody late Monday by FBI agents and New York Police Department detectives at Kennedy Airport after he boarded a flight to Dubai, according to officials.

Julie Pace

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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