6 arrests in US terrorism probe of youth traveling to Syria

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (AP) — Six arrests have been made in connection with a terrorism investigation into youth who have traveled or tried to travel to Syria to fight with militants, including the Islamic State group, federal authorities said.

A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office said the arrests were made Sunday in Minneapolis and San Diego and there was no threat to public safety. Spokesman Ben Petok did not give details about the charges.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI planned a news conference Monday to announce details.

Kyle Loven, spokesman for the Minneapolis office of the FBI, said six people were arrested but gave no further details. An FBI spokesman in San Diego referred questions to Loven.

Authorities say a handful of Minnesota residents have traveled to Syria to fight with militants within the last year. At least one has died while fighting for the Islamic State group.

Since 2007, more than 22 young Somali men have also traveled from Minnesota to Somalia to join the terrorist group al-Shabab.

Four Minnesotans have already been charged in connection with supporting terror groups in Syria, including the Islamic State group.

One man, 19-year-old Hamza Ahmed, was stopped at a New York City airport in November as he and three others were attempting to travel to Syria. Ahmed has been indicted for lying to the FBI during a terrorism investigation, conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State group, and attempting to provide material support. He has pleaded not guilty.

But there have been no public charges filed against his three companions, and little information had been released about them. An FBI affidavit said they are all between the ages of 19 and 20.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-20

6 arrests in US terrorism probe of youth traveling to Syria

a quick guess: there must be a couple of Mohammeds and at least 1 Abdul in that group

and the anti-islam propaganda machine runs overtime.

and the anti-islam propaganda machine runs overtime.

I suppose you think ISIS is being criminalized when they are simply an Islamic social group.

These arrests are meaningless.

The facts are:

* The pull of the Religion of peace is strong if not stronger;

* Their detention should be replaced with cancellation of citizenship/residence permit and deportation;

* Their families should be treated in the same way;

Yes, I know. I am a politically incorrect cold blooded insensitive SOB with no compassion for human beings thinking the unthinkable and speaking the unspeakable.

And of course IRIS, Al Shabab, and Boko Harem are peace ambassadors for Islam the religion of peace simply fighting against the anti Islam propaganda machine ?

Was in the Twin Cities a couple of years ago. Called a Taxi company for a ride from my hotel, they sent me a Somali driver who when he arrived refused to take me to a Liquor store, and was very rude in the process, he said his Imam had told him no alcohol in the Taxi. Called the Taxi company back and was sent an "American" Driver who let me know he makes a fortune from rides Somali's there refuse to do! When will people realize, they cannot shove their religion (whatever it is) down our throats. I would have liked to have said go back home then, but I didn't, because I know their plight.

Only a lobotomy will change hardcore believers of Islam to accept and respect other religions. Until that day arrives, where Islam goes, trouble follows.

Give them the choice, go to Syria and never return, obviously they want to be there, then ban them from the country they leave regardless of nationality, as most of them gained it from there parents coming into the country, hence I say most

Give them the choice, go to Syria and never return, obviously they want to be there, then ban them from the country they leave regardless of nationality, as most of them gained it from there parents coming into the country, hence I say most

Permit them to join ISIS in Syria where more than likely they will commit crimes against humanity? No!

Give them the choice, go to Syria and never return, obviously they want to be there, then ban them from the country they leave regardless of nationality, as most of them gained it from there parents coming into the country, hence I say most

Permit them to join ISIS in Syria where more than likely they will commit crimes against humanity? No!

Yes, that's correct. Far better that they commit atrocities against Infidels.

Lets keep those with murderous intentions in their heads and hearts in the US, Australia, the UK and the rest of the EU.

Where those murderous intentions can be cultured to commit greater atrocities, at least the victims will be Infidels !!

Alluha Akhbar.

It is time they were escorted onto their plane. Ebola injection administered and sent on their way.

Give them the choice, go to Syria and never return, obviously they want to be there, then ban them from the country they leave regardless of nationality, as most of them gained it from there parents coming into the country, hence I say most

Permit them to join ISIS in Syria where more than likely they will commit crimes against humanity? No!

Yes, that's correct. Far better that they commit atrocities against Infidels.

Lets keep those with murderous intentions in their heads and hearts in the US, Australia, the UK and the rest of the EU.

Where those murderous intentions can be cultured to commit greater atrocities, at least the victims will be Infidels !!

Alluha Akhbar.

It is time they were escorted onto their plane. Ebola injection administered and sent on their way.

So you're OK for individuals wanting to join ISIS & travel to Syria. It has been identified those traveling from Western nations engage in evil such as mass murder, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and sexual slavery. Tens of thousands of Muslims and non Muslims are victims and likely to be thousands more if ISIS followers are permitted to travel to conflict zones; ain't going to happen if held in prisons in the West.

Some peoples moral compass are way out of tune

Give them the choice, go to Syria and never return, obviously they want to be there, then ban them from the country they leave regardless of nationality, as most of them gained it from there parents coming into the country, hence I say most

Permit them to join ISIS in Syria where more than likely they will commit crimes against humanity? No!

Yes, that's correct. Far better that they commit atrocities against Infidels.

Lets keep those with murderous intentions in their heads and hearts in the US, Australia, the UK and the rest of the EU.

Where those murderous intentions can be cultured to commit greater atrocities, at least the victims will be Infidels !!

Alluha Akhbar.

It is time they were escorted onto their plane. Ebola injection administered and sent on their way.

So you're OK for individuals wanting to join ISIS & travel to Syria. It has been identified those traveling from Western nations engage in evil such as mass murder, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and sexual slavery. Tens of thousands of Muslims and non Muslims are victims and likely to be thousands more if ISIS followers are permitted to travel to conflict zones; ain't going to happen if held in prisons in the West.

Some peoples moral compass are way out of tune

Do you really want me to go into the evil cultural practices that they carry out in Western Countries ? That is before we get into the murderous atrocities that are carried out in the name Islam ?

I do not see them being forced onto flights at gunpoint. They have made a choice, let them live with that choice. Why should Western taxpayers fund a life in prison for those that hate everything about them ?

Yes, some peoples moral compass is way out of tune. It is not mine. I am not the one committing rape, sexual slavery, pillaging, murdering, beheading, and any other atrocity that you care to mention.

Perhaps, instead of denying, deflecting and ignoring and chucking insults. You could come up with at least a small part of the solution ?

I will give you a starter for 10. Hug a thug does not work.

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

and the anti-islam propaganda machine runs overtime.

I suppose you think ISIS is being criminalized when they are simply an Islamic social group.

I am quite aware mr. smother about who the IS is and what they do. They deserve total destruction,

however they are not representative of Islam. Generalizing Islam as a boogyman is dumb.

If you do not understand that I urge you to do some investigating on the subject.

Permit them to join ISIS in Syria where more than likely they will commit crimes against humanity? No!

Yes, that's correct. Far better that they commit atrocities against Infidels.

Lets keep those with murderous intentions in their heads and hearts in the US, Australia, the UK and the rest of the EU.

Where those murderous intentions can be cultured to commit greater atrocities, at least the victims will be Infidels !!

Alluha Akhbar.

It is time they were escorted onto their plane. Ebola injection administered and sent on their way.

So you're OK for individuals wanting to join ISIS & travel to Syria. It has been identified those traveling from Western nations engage in evil such as mass murder, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and sexual slavery. Tens of thousands of Muslims and non Muslims are victims and likely to be thousands more if ISIS followers are permitted to travel to conflict zones; ain't going to happen if held in prisons in the West.

Some peoples moral compass are way out of tune

Do you really want me to go into the evil cultural practices that they carry out in Western Countries ? That is before we get into the murderous atrocities that are carried out in the name Islam ?

I do not see them being forced onto flights at gunpoint. They have made a choice, let them live with that choice. Why should Western taxpayers fund a life in prison for those that hate everything about them ?

Yes, some peoples moral compass is way out of tune. It is not mine. I am not the one committing rape, sexual slavery, pillaging, murdering, beheading, and any other atrocity that you care to mention.

Perhaps, instead of denying, deflecting and ignoring and chucking insults. You could come up with at least a small part of the solution ?

I will give you a starter for 10. Hug a thug does not work.

Post removed to enable reply.

For a starter permitting IS and other Islamic terror groups' sympathisers to travel to join these groups is a form of 'hugging' as it is in effect endorsing their wishes to commit murder and extreme cruelty, often against non Muslims.

I have read that the UK has handed down a life sentence for an in country recruiter for ISIS, would be a good law enforcement policy for other countries to have similar legislation. It has been documented that implementing the death sentence (e.g. USA) is more costly to the tax payer that life in prison.

All Imams identified as promogating Wahhabi / Salafi ideology returned to their native countries. Those who incite / preach terrorism to serve a sentence, up to life, if someone acts on their ideology - this applies irrespective of religious or political identity. Dependent on the security assessment prior to release to wear a tracking device to enforce home detention that would be reviewed say once a year as well as forbidding access to social media / internet whilst in home detention. I am not a subject matter expert on law enforcement, but you get the drift...

Have to say posters comments such as injecting people with Ebola, spraying Muslims with pigs blood, nuke 'em etc etc are IMO absurd.

and the anti-islam propaganda machine runs overtime.

No need, because events are taking care of that. Coincidentally, I see on the news feed some news from Canada:

The Montréal Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) announces today that charges have been filed against Sabrine Djermane and El Mahdi Jamali, both aged 18. The two Montréal residents are currently in preventive detention. They face the following charges under the Criminal Code of Canada:

• 83.181 - Attempting to leave Canada to participate in activity of a terrorist group
• 83.19 - Facilitating terrorist activity
• 83.2 - Commission of an offence for a terrorist group
• 81 (1)(d) - Using explosives

These charges result from a short police investigation launched after information was received from the community. The investigation showed that Sabrine Djermane and El Mahdi Jamali were planning to leave the country to commit a terrorist act abroad.

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/qc/nouv-news/com-rel/2015/04/150420-eng.htm

Quebec’s Crown prosecutor told Global News the pair were suspected of planning to set off explosives “in the Montreal area.”

Nice.

Post removed to enable reply.

For a starter permitting IS and other Islamic terror groups' sympathisers to travel to join these groups is a form of 'hugging' as it is in effect endorsing their wishes to commit murder and extreme cruelty, often against non Muslims.

I have read that the UK has handed down a life sentence for an in country recruiter for ISIS, would be a good law enforcement policy for other countries to have similar legislation. It has been documented that implementing the death sentence (e.g. USA) is more costly to the tax payer that life in prison.

All Imams identified as promogating Wahhabi / Salafi ideology returned to their native countries. Those who incite / preach terrorism to serve a sentence, up to life, if someone acts on their ideology - this applies irrespective of religious or political identity. Dependent on the security assessment prior to release to wear a tracking device to enforce home detention that would be reviewed say once a year as well as forbidding access to social media / internet whilst in home detention. I am not a subject matter expert on law enforcement, but you get the drift...

Have to say posters comments such as injecting people with Ebola, spraying Muslims with pigs blood, nuke 'em etc etc are IMO absurd.

As a form of hugging, call it what you like. They can go and hug and indulge in manlove Thursday's with IS. To leave the relative safety of the US, UK etc to join with their IS brethren is their wish, their desire, their calling. Why would anyone wish to stand in their way. Surely that constitutes a breach of their HUMAN RIGHTS, that they are very quick to jump on whenever they are not happy about something.

Please provide a link to this life sentence ? Never heard of it. I will provide you with this link, and many others like from across the EU, it would be foolish to believe that the same thing was not happening across the whole of the Western world, including the USA.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/students-hand-out-isis-recruitment-4043705

I am not convinced that the argument is clear cut in the cost of incarceration VS the death penalty. I believe that the annual cost of incarceration in the US is around $35,000 annually. You can buy a shed load of bullets with $35,000 annually. Furthermore, it is gross stupidity incarcerating Islamic Terrorists in the prison system. It is counterproductive. Here is just one report from 2012. I can produce many more.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9298578/Prisoners-under-pressure-to-convert-to-Muslim-gang.html

'' I am not a subject matter expert on law enforcement, but you get the drift...''

Obviously you are not. For someone who supposedly reads about the UK. This statement proves it.

'' All Imams identified as promogating Wahhabi / Salafi ideology returned to their native countries. Those who incite / preach terrorism to serve a sentence, up to life, if someone acts on their ideology - this applies irrespective of religious or political identity. Dependent on the security assessment prior to release to wear a tracking device to enforce home detention that would be reviewed say once a year as well as forbidding access to social media / internet whilst in home detention. ''

If you knew anything, you would know how ridiculous that statement really is.

2 words should explain all

ABU HAMZA

Post removed to enable reply.

For a starter permitting IS and other Islamic terror groups' sympathisers to travel to join these groups is a form of 'hugging' as it is in effect endorsing their wishes to commit murder and extreme cruelty, often against non Muslims.

I have read that the UK has handed down a life sentence for an in country recruiter for ISIS, would be a good law enforcement policy for other countries to have similar legislation. It has been documented that implementing the death sentence (e.g. USA) is more costly to the tax payer that life in prison.

All Imams identified as promogating Wahhabi / Salafi ideology returned to their native countries. Those who incite / preach terrorism to serve a sentence, up to life, if someone acts on their ideology - this applies irrespective of religious or political identity. Dependent on the security assessment prior to release to wear a tracking device to enforce home detention that would be reviewed say once a year as well as forbidding access to social media / internet whilst in home detention. I am not a subject matter expert on law enforcement, but you get the drift...

Have to say posters comments such as injecting people with Ebola, spraying Muslims with pigs blood, nuke 'em etc etc are IMO absurd.

As a form of hugging, call it what you like. They can go and hug and indulge in manlove Thursday's with IS. To leave the relative safety of the US, UK etc to join with their IS brethren is their wish, their desire, their calling. Why would anyone wish to stand in their way. Surely that constitutes a breach of their HUMAN RIGHTS, that they are very quick to jump on whenever they are not happy about something.

Please provide a link to this life sentence ? Never heard of it. I will provide you with this link, and many others like from across the EU, it would be foolish to believe that the same thing was not happening across the whole of the Western world, including the USA.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/students-hand-out-isis-recruitment-4043705

I am not convinced that the argument is clear cut in the cost of incarceration VS the death penalty. I believe that the annual cost of incarceration in the US is around $35,000 annually. You can buy a shed load of bullets with $35,000 annually. Furthermore, it is gross stupidity incarcerating Islamic Terrorists in the prison system. It is counterproductive. Here is just one report from 2012. I can produce many more.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-and-order/9298578/Prisoners-under-pressure-to-convert-to-Muslim-gang.html

'' I am not a subject matter expert on law enforcement, but you get the drift...''

Obviously you are not. For someone who supposedly reads about the UK. This statement proves it.

'' All Imams identified as promogating Wahhabi / Salafi ideology returned to their native countries. Those who incite / preach terrorism to serve a sentence, up to life, if someone acts on their ideology - this applies irrespective of religious or political identity. Dependent on the security assessment prior to release to wear a tracking device to enforce home detention that would be reviewed say once a year as well as forbidding access to social media / internet whilst in home detention. ''

If you knew anything, you would know how ridiculous that statement really is.

2 words should explain all

ABU HAMZA

Looks like I made an error, must have read about UK national Samiun Rahman who has been arrested in Bangladesh and is now facing a life sentence as a recruiter for ISIS.

I am a Londoner by birth and upbringing, but haven't lived in the UK for 30 years & only occassionally follow UK media. I understand more aggressive legislation approaches will take time to be enacted due to political disputes balancing human rights and protection of society in general. e.g. what is the staus of the matter below from a 2014 article?

The UK government is currently examining ways to boost its fight against extremism. Home secretary Theresa May is considering legislation to target those who spread incendiary views, but not classed as terrorists because they do not engage in violence.

As an example, in Australia people who if they return and are convicted of fighting with a terror group face 25 years in jail. Think it's 10 years jail time just for visiting proscribed areas in Syria / Iraq.

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and the anti-islam propaganda machine runs overtime.

I suppose you think ISIS is being criminalized when they are simply an Islamic social group.

I am quite aware mr. smother about who the IS is and what they do. They deserve total destruction,

however they are not representative of Islam. Generalizing Islam as a boogyman is dumb.

If you do not understand that I urge you to do some investigating on the subject.

You appear to have gone off half-cocked. I have not suggested anyone is the boogeyman, I simply do not see your anti-Islam propaganda machine. This article is about youth traveling to Syria to join the militants--I guess they could be going to fight along side pro-US militants in Syria, there must be some. However, it appears, like many other stories, to be of Western-raised youth going to Syria to fight for ISIS.

Somalis. Send them back there.

I am not convinced that the argument is clear cut in the cost of incarceration VS the death penalty.

It often takes as long as 20 years of appeals before someone is executed after the death sentence is pronounced. The government is responsible to provide private lawyers for the accused and they are expensive. In the meantime the prisoner is held in maximum security called death row which is expensive.

It has been shown over and over that all of these years of legal wrangling with the government paying for both sides and court costs exceeds the cost of just locking someone up and throwing the key away.

I am in favor of the death penalty but it is what it is.

Cheers

I am not convinced that the argument is clear cut in the cost of incarceration VS the death penalty.

It often takes as long as 20 years of appeals before someone is executed after the death sentence is pronounced. The government is responsible to provide private lawyers for the accused and they are expensive. In the meantime the prisoner is held in maximum security called death row which is expensive.

It has been shown over and over that all of these years of legal wrangling with the government paying for both sides and court costs exceeds the cost of just locking someone up and throwing the key away.

I am in favor of the death penalty but it is what it is.

Cheers

I do not disagree with what you say NS.

Where I find the whole thing an abomination, whether it be the US or the UK. There is people in the US who actually work for a living and do not earn $35,000. It is absolutely incredible that the cost of incarceration costs more than some people can earn legitimately. I know why it happens, but it should never be allowed to happen.

Of course the years of legal wrangling rack up the cost of prisoners on death row. The question has to be, where there is irrefutable evidence, tried and found guilty and a death sentence imposed. How the hell does all these years of legal wrangling take place ? Far be it for me to suggest it is a great money spinner for some !! This is not a dig at the US. The UK is exactly the same. It took years and Millions of £££'s to extradite 2 hate preachers. A nonsense in anyone's language.

A certain Tony Blairs wife has made £££ millions on the back of Human Rights cases. Think that says it all.

20 years ago I would have been in the '' NO '' death penalty camp. Sadly, I have now come to the conclusion that there is a need for the death penalty even in the UK.

But all this is getting too far off topic.

As you say it is what it is.

Will I see free rendition flights being advertised soon for all those wishing to go and join IS