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    November 20, 2011

NYC Mayor Says Would-be Bomber Arrested

   Suzanne Presto
   New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Photo: AP/Louis Lanzano
   New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced the arrest of Jose Pimentel,
   pictured at right, who is accused of plotting to bomb police and post
   offices in New York City, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011.

   New York City police announced Sunday that they have arrested a man for
   allegedly plotting to bomb city facilities and U.S. military personnel.
   At a press conference, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced
   the arrest of 27-year-old Jose Pimentel, who is accused of planning to
   bomb police cars, post offices and members of the U.S. military.
   "The suspect was a so-called 'lone wolf,' motivated by his own
   resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan,
   as well as inspired by al-Qaida propaganda. He was not part of a larger
   conspiracy emanating from abroad," he said.
   Bloomberg called Pimentel an "al-Qaida sympathizer."
   Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Pimentel's violent views
   are well documented.
   "Our office today filed charges against Jose Pimentel of Manhattan for
   conspiring to build a bomb for terrorist purposes and for possessing a
   weapon, a pipe bomb, that he is alleged to have intended to use to wage
   his campaign of violence. The defendant stated his belief in violent
   jihad and harbored a violent ideology. And you could see that from his
   website "True Islam." He posted articles on Osama bin Laden, discussed
   the duty of every Muslim to wage war against the West and identified
   himself with terrorist organizations," he said.
   New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly described Pimentel as
   an unemployed native of the Dominican Republic who lived most of his
   life in New York City's borough of Manhattan. Kelly said Pimentel is a
   U.S. citizen, a convert to Islam and a follower of radical cleric Anwar
   al-Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Yemen in September.
   "Pimentel followed instructions from Anwar al-Awlaki's Inspire magazine
   to first acquire the bomb-making materials and then assemble them," he
   said.
   Kelly said Pimentel was working on preparations for timing mechanisms
   when police arrested him on Saturday. "Pimentel talked about killing
   U.S. servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, particularly U.S.
   Army and Marine Corps personnel. He talked about bombing post offices,
   in around Washington Heights [in New York City's borough of Manhattan],
   and police cars in New York City as well as a police station in
   Bayonne, New Jersey," he said.
   Kelly said the New York City Police Department first became aware of
   Pimentel more than two years ago.

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