Federal and local NY authorities disagree on how serious the risk of a threat regarding alleged al-Qaida sympathizer Jose Pimentel, arrested on November 20, 2011 by the New York City Police Department.
Jose Pimentel, 27, also known as Muhammad Yusuf, is a naturalized U.S. citizen from the Dominican Republic who was allegedly plotting to bomb targets in New York City. A recent convert to Islam, Pimentel is originally from the Dominican Republic. Pimentel’s alleged targets included U.S. troops returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan, police cars, and post offices. After his arrest, news surfaced that the F.B.I. had declined to participate in the case, concluding Pimentel was incapable of successfully executing attacks and was mentally unstable.