Times Square bomber sentenced to life in prison

Expressing no remorse and predicting the "imminent" defeat of the United States at the hands of Muslim forces, Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for his attempt to spill blood with a homemade car bomb.

"Brace yourselves, because the war with Muslims has just begun," Shahzad, 31, warned U.S. District Judge Miriam Cedarbaum in one of several polite but chilling exchanges. "Consider me only a first droplet of the flood that will follow me."

Shahzad - wearing a white cap, a black prison smock, and longer beard and hair than he did at his June guilty plea - also for the first time complained about his post-arrest treatment at the hands of the FBI, and said that he was comfortable with his fate because he saw it as the will of Allah.

"If I am given 1,000 lives, I will sacrifice them all for the sake of Allah," said Shahzad."... Decree whatever you desire to decree, for you can only decree regarding the life of this world."

Cedarbaum told him he'd have plenty of time to consider his actions in the years to come. "I do hope that you will spend some of the time in prison thinking carefully about whether the Quran wants you to kill lots of people," she said.

Says Taliban hatched plot

A naturalized American citizen from Pakistan who was living in Bridgeport, Conn., Shahzad was captured two days after his May 1 bomb attempt. He quickly confessed, telling officials that his plot had been set in motion by the Pakistani Taliban. He says he was defending Muslims and retaliating against American attacks on civilians.

Shahzad was held for two weeks after his arrest without being brought to court. Government officials say he voluntarily waived his rights to a lawyer. But he told Cedarbaum Tuesday, "... I asked for the Miranda. And the FBI denied it to me for two weeks, effecting harm to my kids and family, and I was forced to sign those Mirandas."

An FBI spokesman denied threats to Shahzad's family, as did U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara. Shahzad's lawyer, Philip Weinstein - who told Cedarbaum that Shahzad asked him to say nothing in court - did not return a call seeking clarification.

Handcuffed behind his back when he entered court, Shahzad's cuffs were removed during the sentencing. He occasionally pointed for emphasis, but spoke conversationally and followed Cedarbaum's instructions.

In other comments, he brushed off a question from the judge about the oath of loyalty he took when he became a U.S. citizen last year - "I did swear but I did not mean it" - and incorporated current events in his vision of coming Muslim supremacy.

"Soon the bailout money which is holding up your fragile economy will run out, and soon you will not be able to afford the war costs," he said.

'Proud terrorists'

He also blessed Osama bin Laden, and said like bin Laden he was only fighting to liberate Muslims. "If you call us terrorists ... then we are proud terrorists ... and we will keep on terrorizing until you leave our land and people at peace," he said.

Cedarbaum said she was imposing a life sentence without hesitation.

"The defendant has expressed his total lack of remorse, and his desire if given the opportunity to repeat the crime," she said. As she imposed six life sentences, Shahzad twice pointed upwards and said, "Allahu Akbar (God is great)."

"My sentence will be only the limit that God has given me life in this world," Shahzad told her near the end.. "... So I'm happy with the deal that God has given me."

He left the courtroom as he entered it - with hands cuffed behind his back. "You are now excused," Cedarbaum said. "Thank you."