Sources: Terror Suspect Wanted To Blow Up A Bomb On The U.S.S. Intrepid

The man accused of trying to build pipe bombs to blast New York Police Department cars, post office vehicles also wanted to target the U.S.S. Intrepid, sources told CBS 2.

Jose Pimentel appeared in court Sunday night.

Prosecutors say Pimentel, an American citizen, became a radicalized jihadist, taking his inspiration from slain cleric Anwar Al-Awlaki and Osama bin Laden.

“He appears to be a total lone wolf,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg at a Sunday night news conference. “He was not part of a larger conspiracy emanating from abroad.”

“Pimentel talked about killing U.S. servicemen returning from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. “He talked about bombing post offices in and around Washington Heights and police cars in New York City, as well as a police station in Bayonne, New Jersey.

Pimentel was apparently unaware that he was under tight surveillance by the NYPD since 2009. Officials say Pimentel was arrested Saturday after he was putting the finishing touches on a third bomb.

Police released a video which shows a similar pipe bomb powerful enough to blow the roof off a car. Sources told CBS 2 Pimentel wanted to set off a pipe bomb on the deck of the Intrepid in an effort to kill as many tourists as possible.

He allegedly bought the components for the bombs at different stores – including a Home Depot in the Bronx.

Prosecutors say Pimentel was responsible for a website which included posts entitled “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom’s Home,” “The Prepatory Manual of Explosives,” and “The RPG System” to name a few. Some of the content on the site was apparently from the Al Qaeda English-language propaganda magazine “Inspire.”

Pimentel was denied bail and remains in custody.

“I don’t think this case is nearly as strong as the people believe,” said Pimentel’s attorney Joseph Zablocki. “He has this very public online profile. … This is not the way you go about committing a terrorist attack.”

“I don’t know whether there’s an entrapment issue at this point,” said Zablocki. “It’s not outside the realm of possibility that there are other people involved.”

CBS News reported the case was handled entirely by the NYPD, without the involvement of the FBI or other federal authorities. The absence of federal involvement may also reflect on the overall strength of the case, CBS News reported.

{CBS 2 News/Matzav.com Newscenter}