New York police arrested a man trying to build a pipe bomb with instructions from an al Qaeda magazine.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the announcement at a press conference on Sunday.
SOUNDBITE: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg saying:
"The suspect was a so-called lone wolf motivated by his resentment of the presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and motivated by al Qaeda propaganda. He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad."
They also showed a video of an explosion they say was equivalent to the one the suspect was planning.
Police arrested Jose Pimentel on Saturday after surveillance teams observed him drilling into a pipe in his mother's New York apartment.
District Attorney Cyrus Vance.
SOUNDBITE: District Attorney Cyrus Vance saying:
"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."
Pimentel was reportedly an hour away from completing the bomb when officers moved in. Emergency response teams were also activated in the event of an accidental detonation.
Deborah Gembara, Reuters.