Pols: NYC needs every 'nickel' of terror cash
By KERY MURAKAMINewsday
November 21, 2011
The arrest of a suspected lone-wolf terrorist means antiterrorism funds geared for New York City "shouldn't be cut a nickel," say Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford).
After the capture Saturday of Jose Pimentel, 27, a terrorist suspect from an upper Manhattan neighborhood, both Schumer and King called on Congress Monday "not to cut New York City terrorist funding."
At a news conference at Schumer's Manhattan office, the two legislators said the plot illustrated a shift in terrorist threats toward lone wolves recruited domestically to carry out plots.
King said intelligence shows "New York City is the No. 1 terrorism target in the country. I've seen the analysis, and we're five times more at risk than the next city on the list."
U.S. intelligence information also shows terrorist tactics are changing, with the development of individuals to carry out lone wolf tactics.
"Its very difficult to attack us from the outside, so they are trying to recruit lone wolves [like Pimentel]," King said.
Schumer said that's good news and bad news. "Lone wolves are not able to do as much damage, but they're harder to detect," he said.
Schumer said the House is proposing a $1 billion cut in antiterrorism funding nationally; the Senate proposal would mean a $500 million cut. Even with cuts of that size, Schumer said he and King are arguing that New York City antiterrorism should "shouldn't be cut a nickel."
Said Schumer, "We haven't had a [successful] terrorism incident in New York since 9/11 and that's no accident."
King said cutting federal funding for local law enforcement "puts peoples live's I danger. It's playing Russian Roulette with people's lives."
Other legislators agreed with Schumer and King that the city remains a top target for terrorists, whether groups or individuals.
In a statement Sunday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) thanked law enforcement authorities, especially the NYPD, and warned that terrorist eyes remain focused on the Big Apple.
"This incident shows once again that while New York City remains a prime target for suspected terrorist activity, our law enforcement officials stand ready to do what's necessary to keep our city safe," she said. "This is yet another stark reminder that we must remain vigilant in investing federal homeland security resources to protect New York City and the nation."
Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) also praised law enforcement officials, saying their work on the case shows the public must support anti-terrorist efforts.
"This arrest, like others before it, reminds us that we must remain vigilant and support those who keep us safe," Israel said.
Law enforcement officials say Pimentel was inspired by Islamic militant Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemeni-American cleric who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in September.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said in a news conference Sunday night that Pimentel, a native of the Dominican Republic, a U.S. citizen and convert to Islam, came to the attention of authorities more than two years ago when he was living in Schenectady.
Kelly said Pimentel was vocal in his support of violence and spoke of changing his name to Osama Hussein, in honor of his heroes Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
Authorities displayed equipment that they said Pimentel purchased from Home Depot and other stores to make his bombs. They included elbow pipes, clocks and wiring. In all, he was assembling three devices, they said.
Police also built a duplicate of the explosive device Pimentel was allegedly planning to detonate, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg showed a video taken of a car exploding as part of the police test.
At the Home Depot in Gateway Center, within walking distance of northern Manhattan neighborhoods, parking lot attendant Amelia Belluci said she did not remember seeing Pimentel shop there.
"It makes me nervous," Belluci said. "You never know what could happen . . . There's stuff in here that could be used for bombs and terrorism, easy."