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Tuesday, November 22, 2011 – Daily News 5A WORLD BRIEFING Bomb plot suspect's mom apologizes to New Yorkers NEW YORK (AP) — The mother of a ''lone wolf'' accused of plotting to attack police stations and post offices with homemade bombs apologized to New Yorkers on Monday, even as questions arose about why federal author- ities — who typically handle terrorism cases — declined to get involved in what city officials called a serious threat. The mother of Jose Pimentel spoke to reporters outside her upper Manhattan home the day after her son was arraigned in state court on terrorism-related charges. ''I didn't raise my son in that way,'' Carmen Sosa said. ''I feel bad about this situation.'' She also praised the New York Police Department, say- ing, ''I think they handled it well.'' Officials with the NYPD, which conducted the under- cover investigation using a confidential informant and a bugged apartment, said the department had to move quickly because Pimentel was about to test a pipe bomb made out of match heads, nails and other ingredients bought at neighbor- hood hardware and discount stores. Two law enforcement officials said Monday that the NYPD's Intelligence Division had sought to get the FBI involved at least twice as the investigation unfolded. Both times, the FBI concluded that Pimentel lacked the mental capacity to act on his own, they said. The FBI thought Pimentel ''didn't have the predisposi- tion or the ability to do anything on his own,'' one of the offi- cials said. The officials were not authorized to speak about the case and spoke on condition of anonymity. The FBI's New York office and the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan both declined to comment on Monday. Pimentel's lawyer, Joseph Zablocki, said his client was never a true threat. ''If the goal here is to be stopping terror ... I'm not sure that this is where we should be spending our resources,'' he said. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly defended the han- dling of the case Monday, saying the NYPD kept federal authorities in the loop ''all along'' before circumstances forced investigators to take swift measures using state charges. ''No question in my mind that we had to take this case down,'' Kelly said. ''There was an imminent threat.'' Added Kelly: ''This is a classic case of what we've been talking about — the lone wolf, an individual, self-radical- ized. This is the needle in the haystack problem we face as a country and as a city.'' Authorities described Pimentel as an unemployed U.S. citizen and ''al-Qaida sympathizer'' who was born in the Dominican Republic. He had lived most of his life in Man- hattan, aside from about five years in the upstate city of Sch- enectady, where authorities say he had an arrested for credit card fraud. His mother said he was raised Roman Catholic. But he converted to Islam in 2004 and went by the name Muham- mad Yusuf, authorities said. Gates testifies in $1B lawsuit against Microsoft SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Microsoft's Windows 95 rollout presented the most challenges in the company's history, leading to several last-minute changes to techni- cal features that would no longer support a rival software maker's word processor, Bill Gates testified Monday in a $1 billion antitrust lawsuit filed by the former owner of WordPerfect. ''We worked super hard,'' the Microsoft co-founder said. ''It was the most challenging, trying project we had ever done.'' Gates was the first witness to testify Monday as Microsoft lawyers presented their case in the trial that's been ongoing in federal court in Salt Lake City for about a month. He is set to resume testimony Tuesday morning. Utah-based Novell Inc. sued Microsoft Corp. in 2004, claiming the Redmond, Wash., company violated U.S. antitrust laws through its arrangements with other soft- ware makers when it launched Windows 95. Novell says it was later forced to sell WordPerfect for a $1.2 billion loss. Novell is now a wholly owned subsidiary of The Attachmate Group, the result of a merger that was com- pleted earlier this year. Gates said Novell just couldn't deliver a Windows 95 compatible WordPerfect program in time for its rollout, and its own Word program was actually better. He said that by 1994, Microsoft's Word writing program was ranked No. 1 in the market above WordPerfect. Gates called it an ''important win.'' 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Main St. Red Bluff www.redbluff.mercy.org/sports MATTRESS 527-5837 632 Main St. Red Bluff St. Elizabeth Community Hospital A member of CHW redbluff.mercy.org MON.-FRI. 9:00-5:30 • SAT. 9:00 -5:00 • CLOSED SUNDAYS "Are you dreaming of a 29900 ($126.00 Savings) Gingrich wants younger workers to be allowed to choose private accounts MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich on Monday proposed allowing younger workers still decades away from retirement to bypass Social Security and instead choose private invest- ment accounts that would be subject to stock market gyra- tions. The former House speaker, who has risen in the polls, would allow younger workers to take their share of the pay- roll tax that funds Social Security and put it in a private account. Employers would still pay their share of the tax, which would be used to pay benefits for current retirees. But it would create a funding shortfall that Gingrich brushed off. ''That gap is more than covered by the savings'' that would come from giving states control of 185 social welfare programs, Gingrich told reporters after a speech that laid out broad concepts but lacked key details. Gingrich's plan would cover the near-term deficits by giving to states responsibility for such programs as Ameri- Corps volunteers, Section 8 public housing and Pell Grants for college students. He said states were better suited to administer those programs. Cost dispute to delay opening of 9/11 museum NEW YORK (AP) — The 2012 opening of the Sept. 11 museum at the World Trade Center will be delayed by dis- putes over redevelopment costs, a person familiar with the construction project said Monday. The dispute between the National September 11 Memo- rial & Museum foundation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey was first reported in The Wall Street Journal. The foundation is responsible for the museum's cost while the Port Authority, which owns the site, is paying for infrastructure improvements. Exactly who should pay for each component of the project has been subject to debate, and the dispute responsible for the delay partly centers over $156 million that the Port Authority says the foundation owes. The person familiar with the construction said the muse- um's opening will be delayed because the Port Authority has stopped approving new construction contracts. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because negotiations are ongoing. A memorial at the trade center opened in September on the 10th anniversary of the 2001 attacks. The museum show- casing artifacts from the attacks was to open on the 11th anniversary next year. Penn State taps former FBI director Louis Freeh PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former FBI director Louis Freeh, tapped to lead Penn State's investigation into the child sex-abuse allegations against a former assistant football coach, said his inquiry will go as far back as 1975, a much longer period than a grand jury report issued earlier this month. Freeh was named Monday to oversee the university board of trustees' internal investigation into the abuse alle- gations that ultimately led to the ouster of longtime football coach Joe Paterno and university President Graham Spanier. Freeh said his goal was to conduct a comprehensive, fair and quick review. His team of former FBI agents, federal prosecutors and others has already begun the process of reading the grand jury report and looking at records. ''We will immediately report any evidence of criminality to law enforcement authorities,'' said Freeh, who has no direct connection to Penn State. Penn State has faced criticism since announcing that its internal investigation would be led by two university trustees, Merck pharmaceutical company CEO Kenneth Frazier and state Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis. Police arrest mother of missing 5-year-old Arizona girl on suspicion of child abuse GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Police on Monday arrested the mother of a missing 5-year-old Arizona girl on child abuse charges ''directly related'' to the girl, and said they don't believe they'll find the child alive. In a news conference that offered the most detail yet about what investigators think happened to Jhessye Shockley, Glendale police said the girl's mother, Jerice Hunter, was now the investigation's ''No. 1 focus.'' Hunter was booked Monday into Maricopa County jail. A sheriff's spokesman said Hunter was unable to talk to reporters because she had not yet been assigned a housing unit. However, Hunter previously told The Associated Press she had nothing to do with Jhessye's disappear- ance and was highly critical of the department's investi- gation. Glendale police Sgt. Brent Coombs said at the news conference that new information in the past few days led police to serve another search warrant on Hunter's Glendale apartment and arrest her Monday. He would- n't elaborate. Monday-Saturday 10am - 4pm Crafter's Boutique $10 off purchase of $50 or more. Or Rent a Space to Sell Your Crafts BLACK FRIDAY SALE Gifts for family & friends Plenty of parking on Pine Street 650 Main St., Red Bluff 530 528-2723 LINDA M. FOURBY, LUTCF Authorized Independent Agent BlueShield of California Anthem® Bluecross • Individual • Small Group • Medicare Supplements • Part D Prescriptions (530) 529-2369 805 Walnut St., Red Bluff CA Lic.#0C05427 We are Grateful for... What are you Grateful for? 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