Man In Terror Probe Skips FBI Questioning

CIA tipped FBI, other domestic agencies after catching a whiff

(AP) - An Afghan immigrant accused of plotting a terrorist attack in New York after receiving training in Pakistan was in contact with a senior al-Qaeda operative, intelligence officials familiar with the investigation say. The CIA learned about Najibullah Zazi through one of its sources and alerted domestic agencies, including the FBI. More»

(AP) - Najibullah Zazi has pleaded not guilty to plotting a terrorist attack on New York City using common chemicals. The Afghan immigrant's lawyer entered the plea today in Brooklyn. Zazi was ordered held without bail during the brief hearing. Zazi's defense attorney says what he's seen so far "does not amount to a conspiracy" and added that he doesn't know the names of anyone accused of conspiring with his client. More»

Official replaced after unit's imam informant tipped off suspect

(NEWSER) - A top official from one of the NYPD's two counterterror units has been replaced after his unit disrupted a federal terror probe by inadvertently alerting the prime suspect to the investigation. Paul Ciorra of the Intelligence Division—which sometimes competes with the city's Counterterrorism Bureau and clashes with federal partners—has been shifted to another job and a Counterterrorism Bureau official installed in his place, the New York Times reports. More»

Police swooped over alleged plot after city visit

(NEWSER) - A Colorado man believed to be a central figure in a New York City terror investigation denies he has links to al-Qaeda or any other terrorist group, the New York Times reports. Police raided three apartments in Queens after Najibullah Zazi visited the city last week. Materials were removed for examination but no arrests have been made, sparking accusations from federal officials that New York authorities moved in too soon, before the nature of the terror plot—if there was one—could be known. More»

Son Jose Pimentel changed after conversion to Islam, she says

(NEWSER) - The mother of a Manhattan suspect accused of plotting a bombing campaign wants the city to know that she's sorry. “I want to apologize to the city of New York," Carmen Sosa told reporters. “I love the city. I’ve been here since 1987 and I’m very disappointed with what my son was doing. I didn’t raise him that way. I feel very bad about the situation. I thank the police. They did what they’re supposed to do." More»