The defendant in the failed Times Square bombing pleaded guilty on Monday, an abrupt and expedited end to a terrorism case that extended to Pakistan and an Islamic militant group there.The defendant, Faisal Shahzad, 30, listened as each count of the 10-count indictment was read to him, and then indicated that he understood the charges and the penalties that he faced.
"I want to plead guilty 100 times over," said Mr. Shahzad, who faces life in prison.
Mr. Shahzad described his training in Pakistan, where he said he went to learn from the Pakistani Taliban how to build a bomb that he planned to detonate in the United States.
His guilty plea was consistent with his behavior since his arrest on May 3, when he began cooperating with federal authorities for more than two weeks without counsel and waived his Miranda rights. The only question would be whether Mr. Shahzad would be seeking some sort of leniency in sentencing in return for his assistance, something his lawyers may be seeking.
But legal experts say that absent any sort of written agreement -- and there may be none since he cooperated for so long without a lawyer -- the government is under no obligation to push for leniency for Mr. Shahzad, who faces a mandatory life sentence on two counts.
He was originally scheduled to appear in court at noon on Monday for what was supposed to be a brief arraignment on an indictment returned against him on Thursday.
But before a packed courtroom, Mr. Shahzads lawyer and a prosecutor left the room for about 15 minutes for a meeting with Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum. The judge then returned and announced that the parties had asked that the hearing be delayed until 4 p.m.
Mr. Shahzad re-entered the courtroom just after 4:30, his hands cuffed behind his back. Marshals then removed the handcuffs. He sat at a table and drummed his fingers as his lawyer Philip Weinstein conferred with the judge and a prosecutor.
The judge asked Mr. Shahzad, who wore a dark blue shirt and a white skullcap, to stand.
She told him that the first charge he faced was attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
"How do you plead to that charge?" the judge asked.
"I do plead guilty to that charge," Mr. Shahzad said.
The judge then said to Mr. Shahzad, "I gather you want to plead guilty to all of them."
"Yes," Mr. Shahzad said.