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.
A new star of Europe :)
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Dear friends :)
I want to tell U a few words about my country which is joining the European union starting tomorrow.
Alltough, probably not too familiar for U, this small country with a great heart has given so many to the World history so far.
We had a brutal agression from our neighbour Serbia in the 90-s. We barely survived and were able to hold ground. We fough and won a hard battle for democracy, freedom and independence after long 900 years.
The Bulwark of Christianity we were cold for centuries. Now we stand, once again on the border of a united Europe.
I wish to express my personal and general gratitude of the Croatian people for everything the United States of America has done for our freedom, independence, democracy, NATO and EU membership.
In the United States of America we will always have a friend, and U in Croatia.A few years ago was a sad anniversary of our best basketball player ever Dra�en Petrović( for which Shaq told that he was his rollmodel in the youth) who played for the New Jersey Nets, and in the key moments of our history said in one interview for USA media˝I am not Yugoslavian.˝I am Croatian.˝
If U ever wish to sea the preserved and beautifull landscapes and castles of Central Europe, the high and wild mountains of the Dinaric Alps and the most beatifull places of Mediterranean almost 6000 km long coast with a thousand islands, come to Croatia, to see the Mediterranean as it once was :)
This is a call on private issues too, if any of U coming to Croatia just let me know, al least what can i do is to help with some information where to stay, and what to visit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubrovnik
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadar
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagreb
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Split
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korčula
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plitvice_Lakes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVklBX4f4Z0
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goran_Ivanišević
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janica_Kostelić
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikola_tesla
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruđer_Bošković
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysius_Stepinac
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pula_Arena
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Croatia is on my travel list - near the top.
I will be messaging you when I go there Amon Sul!
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Good luck and I am happy for you Amon Sul. Thank you too for the history.
I can only hope my adopted country and the country of my mother’s family, the UK, leaves the EU. -
Actually had a trivia question the other night asking in what country is Zagreb located. I got it right for my team. :)
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Who in the world doesn’t know where Croatia is?…wait don’t answer, I’m sure I would just be sad.
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Great post Amon……
Looking forward to visiting some day.
And Draven was an incredible basketball talent. I think ESPN did a “30-30” special on him, and his national team. It was an excellent show. Thanks for the post and good luck to you and your countrymen & woman.
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@JWW:
Great post Amon……
Looking forward to visiting some day.
And Draven was an incredible basketball talent. I think ESPN did a “30-30” special on him, and his national team. It was an excellent show. Thanks for the post and good luck to you and your countrymen & woman.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ4nVL5QywM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJ4nVL5QywM
Thank U JWW :)
Drazen inspired Shaq, that speaks for itself. Pittsburgh was called until recently the second biggest Croatian city in the world, after Zagreb. Pittsburgh had many, many Croatians, but i see that this city is declining. The steel industry has wen down. Besides that we have a strong community in California.
This is the Croatian coat of arms. The small five shields on the top of the big one are the simbols of the five big regions of Croatia. The second one is the shield of Dubrovnik which has as independent territory abolished slavery first in the world, long before all other countries. Then it was called The republic of Ragusa. Dubrovnik old city and it`s walls are still an inspiration to many tourists and adventurers from all around the world. The moto of the republic is ˝freedom˝. We have finally reached it, and we are keeping it. i hope the things in the EU will go in the right direction. Also the relations between USA and EU should improve. That is all from me for now… For any questions, and informations I am always opened for all of you guys/girls. Cheers :)
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@wittmann:
Good luck and I am happy for you Amon Sul. Thank you too for the history.
I can only hope my adopted country and the country of my mother’s family, the UK, leaves the EU.I always thought that the UK in is better than the UK out, but of late I’d really love to see them gone and watch those Tory backbenchers create paradise.
Sorry Amon Sul, that was off-topic, congrats for joining from your neighbour in Europe. Its a tough struggle, but Europe will find a way eventually.
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If Cameron really gives us a vote we will opt out, and I can see the EU collapsing like the giant pyramid scam it always was.
But, of course, he’s lying.
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