New York City Bomb Plot: Who Is 'Al Qaida Sympathizer' Jose Pimentel? (PHOTO)
Man Accused of Targeting Police, U.S. Service Members With Home-Made Pipe Bombs
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and police authorities revealed Sunday night that Jose Pimentel, 27, had been arrested for allegedly plotting to attack U.S. military personnel, police patrol cars and post offices with homemade pipe bombs in the New York metro area.
Here are details revealed about Pimentel Sunday by officials involved with the case.
Pimentel was arrested Saturday in his Washington Heights apartment in northern Manhattan. He was to be arraigned later Sunday and charged with providing support for an act of terrorism and weapons charges, among other charges.
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Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said investigators had been monitoring Pimentel since May 2009.
According to details made public by authorities, Pimentel is a Dominican-born Muslim convert and a U.S. citizen.
Pimentel is not believed to be linked to a larger group, but was operating as a "lone wolf," said Mayor Bloomberg.
Pimental learned how to fashion a pipe bomb from instructions printed in al Qaida's online propaganda magazine, Inspire, which is written in English.
The 27-year-old was also "motivated by his own resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan," according to Bloomberg.
Although considered a "lone wolf," Pimental may have reportedly been inspired to carry out acts of terror due to the death of al Qaida in Yemen leader Anwar al-Awlaki by the U.S. on Sept. 30.
Commissioner Kelly revealed that Pimental had talked about changing his name to Osama Hussein, in light of his "heroes," Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
"He was in the process of building three pipe bombs," a the law enforcement official familiar with the investigation told The New York Times, which is when authorities decided to act. Pimentel allegedly purchased some of his bomb-making supplies at a 99 cent store and at a Home Depot in the Bronx.
On his website, Pimentel spoke of every Muslim's duty to wage war against the west, according to District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.
Pimentel allegedly talked of killing U.S. service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, officials said. He also allegedly wanted to target post offices in Washington Heights, police cars in New York City and police stations in New Jersey.
Pimentel has lived in New York City for years and in Schenectady, N.Y., for about five years, according to officials.
Jose Pimentel clips matches in this handout photo released Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011. (Reuters/NYPD Handout)
