New York ‘lone wolf’ was one hour away from finishing his bomb
She also praised the New York Police Department, saying, “I think they handled it well.”
Officials with the NYPD, which conducted the undercover investigation using a confidential informant and a bugged apartment, said the department had to move quickly because Pimentel was about to test a pipe bomb made out of match heads, nails and other ingredients bought at neighborhood hardware and discount stores.
Two law enforcement officials said Monday that the NYPD’s Intelligence Division had sought to get the FBI involved at least twice as the investigation unfolded. Both times, the FBI concluded that Pimentel lacked the mental capacity to act on his own, they said.
The FBI thought Pimentel “didn’t have the predisposition or the ability to do anything on his own,” one of the officials said.
The officials were not authorized to speak about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The FBI’s New York office and the U.S. attorney’s office in Manhattan both declined to comment on Monday.
Pimentel’s lawyer, Joseph Zablocki, said his client was never a true threat.
“If the goal here is to be stopping terror … I’m not sure that this is where we should be spending our resources,” he said.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly defended the handling of the case Monday, saying the NYPD kept federal authorities in the loop “all along” before circumstances forced investigators to take swift measures using state charges.
“No question in my mind that we had to take this case down,” Kelly said. “There was an imminent threat.”
Added Kelly: “This is a classic case of what we’ve been talking about �� the lone wolf, an individual, self-radicalized. This is the needle in the haystack problem we face as a country and as a city.”
Authorities described Pimentel as an unemployed U.S. citizen and “al-Qaida sympathizer” who was born in the Dominican Republic. He had lived most of his life in Manhattan, aside from about five years in the upstate city of Schenectady, where authorities say he had an arrested for credit card fraud.
His mother said he was raised Roman Catholic. But he converted to Islam in 2004 and went by the name Muhammad Yusuf, authorities said.
Using a tip from police in Albany, the NYPD had been watching Pimentel using a confidential informant for the past year. Investigators learned that he was energized and motivated to carry out his plan by the Sept. 30 killing of al-Qaida’s U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, police said.
Pimentel was under constant surveillance as he shopped for the pipe bombmaterials. He also was overheard talking about attacking police patrol cars and postal facilities, killing soldiers returning home from abroad andbombing a police station in Bayonne, N.J., authorizes said.
Bush's new "Snoop" Executive act
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No, I’m not a Gore supporter. I think Gore would make a worse President than Bush. At least Bush has a decent Sec. of State. In fact, in a school survey I voted for Bush.
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Colin Powell is a good man. As secretary of state, he does his best to improve the plight of Africans who have no one else to look up to. Just watching the desolate faces of famished African children change as bags of United States’ corn and grain arrive to their remote village is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling feelings no act of self interest can ever take away
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@TM:
Colin Powell is a good man. As secretary of state, he does his best to improve the plight of Africans who have no one else to look up to. Just watching the desolate faces of famished African children change as bags of United States’ corn and grain arrive to their remote village is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling feelings no act of self interest can ever take away
very wise TM - now add this to the Humanitarian Ade post . . . take up our cause against the powers of darkness - you’re brother et al. :D
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@TM:
Colin Powell is a good man. As secretary of state, he does his best to improve the plight of Africans who have no one else to look up to. Just watching the desolate faces of famished African children change as bags of United States’ corn and grain arrive to their remote village is one of the most satisfying and fulfilling feelings no act of self interest can ever take away
Colin Powell is pretty Liberal, but it balnces out John Ashcroft. Anyhow, my mother was at a fireworks display at Harbor Island in NY two fourth of Julys ago, and what she believed were Africans who immigrated to America were cheering “Freedom!”
Those are true Americans…people who work hard and love their country…at least its principles.
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As opposed to the white guys drinking beer and throwing the cans at cars :)
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Colin Powell is pretty Liberal, but it balnces out John Ashcroft. Anyhow, my mother was at a fireworks display at Harbor Island in NY two fourth of Julys ago, and what she believed were Africans who immigrated to America were cheering "Freedom!”
I do say, Colin Powell is one Liberal that I actually like. It’s so easy how we become “accustomed” to American life that we forget about how much better we have it compared to most of the world. Sometimes we need such people (those Africans) to remind us what liberty, freedom, and America is all about.
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Powell would make a great President.
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He should of ran in 96 and 9-11 would of never happened.
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Who knows, maybe in 2008? But I think he’ll be too old by then. He’s the best Sec. of State we had in a while.
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Powell '04!
starts the Powell Bandwagon
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Powell '04!
starts the Powell Bandwagon
a person who realizes that there is a world outside of America. i like it.
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Powell and our good 'ole New York Hero of a Mayor… Rudy.
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He should of ran in 96 and 9-11 would of never happened.
Believe it or not, he’s got a point here. Clinton had every oppurtunity to take out Osama, but he chose not to. Osama was even in a snipers gunpoint, but Clinton wussed out and backed down…
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Thats not what I ment. Colin Powell would solve the problem the way it needs to be solved. He would deal with the people, doing whats right. Killing Osama wouldn’t do a thing.
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Screw Powell 04 i say GO Ewok 2030 Vote for me ;)
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also i like how Bush is becoming More Dictatorish everyday :) it just goes to show u how Democracy is Failing and that it is an Inferior idea :) :evil:
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dude, in 2008 you won’t be old enough to run for President.
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can u read mate? it says 2030 ;)
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“Democracy is Failing and that it is an Inferior idea”
Then what do you think will replace it?
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a Charasmatic Leader who will bring the Human Race were it hasnt bin before!
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