FBI says refugees used social media to plan fight in Syria

[rooster59]

FBI says refugees used social media to plan fight in Syria

DON THOMPSON, Associated Press


SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — An Iraqi man bragged about his experience fighting in Syria and the skills he developed as a teenage insurgent as he urged a fellow Iraqi refugee in the U.S. to join him in what both hoped would be martyrdom, according to documents filed in federal court.

Aws Mohammed Younis Al-Jayab, 23, of Sacramento, described his experience fighting against Syrian government soldiers in heroic terms and promised in 2013 he would train Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, of Houston, in how to use weapons and sneak into Syria to join the fight, according to an FBI affidavit unsealed in federal court in Sacramento.

The two Iraqi-born Palestinians used social media to discuss their plans, according to federal authorities. The communications provided the link that led to terrorism-related charges against the men this week.

Al-Jayab faces up to eight years in prison on charges of traveling to Syria to fight in late 2013 and early 2014 and lying to U.S. authorities about his travels. Al Hardan faces up to 25 years in prison and is charged with attempting to provide material support for terrorists.

Al-Jayab's attorney on Friday criticized U.S. politicians who he said "have grossly mischaracterized the nature and scope of this case" to tie it to the debate over whether the United States is doing enough to screen refugees.

"There is no threat that this man poses or no indication that he's engaged in any activity since his return two years ago. The only activities that were interrupted were his studies and his work," defense attorney Ben Galloway said outside the courtroom.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Carolyn Delaney ordered him held without bail.

It's not clear how Al-Jayab and Al Hardan met online, although the FBI affidavit describes at least one apparently mutual acquaintance.

The criminal complaint against Al-Jayab recounts a series of communications with different people, none of whom is identified. One called "Individual I" is Al Hardan, according to Lauren Horwood, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney in Sacramento.

Federal authorities say Al-Jayab emigrated from Syria to the United States as a refugee in October 2012, living in Tucson, Arizona, and Milwaukee until November 2013, when he went back overseas to fight.

He returned to the United States in January 2014 and lived in Sacramento. He has been a computer science major at a Sacramento community college since last fall.

Al-Jayab and Al Hardan communicated in April 2013, and Al Hardan expressed interest in fighting in Syria.

"O God, grant us martyrdom for your sake while engaged in fighting and not retreating; a martyrdom that would make you satisfied with us," Al-Jayab wrote to Al Hardan, according to court documents.

Al-Jayab said he had already fought in Syria, starting when he turned 16, according to messages between the two men quoted in court documents. He promised to provide weapons training to Al Hardan and advised him on how he would be assigned to the battlefield once he arrived in Syria.

Authorities say Al-Jayab fought twice in Syria, including with a group later affiliated with Islamic State between November 2013 and January 2014. He told authorities he had traveled to Turkey to visit his grandmother, which prosecutors say was a lie that could send him to prison.

Court documents rely heavily on Al-Jayab's social media communication, much of which is in Arabic, travel records and Internet IP addresses. Prosecutors did not provide additional information.

In several messages, Al-Jayab criticized Islamic State for killing Muslims, although he later described fighting alongside the group.

"If it weren't for the State's bloodletting, I would have been the first one to join it," he said, according to the FBI.

Al Hardan, 24, appeared in a Houston federal court Friday. Prosecutors charged him with attempting to support the Islamic State and accused him of providing resources to the group beginning around May 2014. Court documents did not provide specifics about the allegations.

Al Hardan told the judge he lives in a Houston-area apartment, is married and has a child.

He was appointed an attorney, David Adler, who did not immediately return messages seeking comment.

Al Hardan's brother said his sibling told him Friday in a telephone call from the Federal Detention Center in Houston that he is innocent of the charges he faces.

Saeed Faraj Saeed Al Hardan of Houston said their family had always felt that "ISIS is no good" and "ISIS is not Muslim."

Federal officials say two of Al-Jayab's brothers in Milwaukee and a cousin in California also were arrested but those arrests are not related to national security.

-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-09

[ezzra]

And this what Trump was talking about....

[oneday]

"There is no threat that this man poses or no indication that he's engaged in any activity since his return two years ago. The only activities that were interrupted were his studies and his work," defense attorney Ben Galloway said outside the courtroom.

Many defense attorney's are the lowest scum of the earth, lying as easily as they do just to keep a client out of jail.

[PeCeDe]

"There is no threat that this man poses or no indication that he's engaged in any activity since his return two years ago. The only activities that were interrupted were his studies and his work," defense attorney Ben Galloway said outside the courtroom.

Many defense attorney's are the lowest scum of the earth, lying as easily as they do just to keep a client out of jail.

You are of course correct, but our laws state that everyone is entitled to a defense, therefore we must have defense attorneys who defend, (like it or not) "according to law," not whether we are truly innocent or guilty... but whether we are are innocent or guilty "according to law." This is where the terrorists etc. have us cornered, because they have "laws" that say we are guilty until proven innocent, and they dish out their evil acts with no regard to justice.

[farcanell]

And it's not that long ago that we were all protesting about big brother spying on us. It now seems that big brother is a nessesity to our safety and way of life... Who would have thought?

This is a good result, although key word software was probably the detector... But still, bad people with proven skills ( experienced ISIS fighter), are off the street... Good job... But there are more out there, so we all must stay vigilant

[seadog57]

Well at least the USA is doing something unlike the UK we even have government agencies helping them so we dont know who is in or out and our security services cant be every where.

from UK News:

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is running an unprecedented publicity campaign encouraging hundreds of migrants to challenge criminal convictions related to their entry, such as fraud or using false passports. so what chance do we have as being able to fight this the enemy within.

Roll on Donald or Nigal we need to lock down clean out and get sorted out

[Trouble]

It kind of confuses me that here this guy goes off and evidently fights against the Assad government and is considered some kind of terrorist when the United States is providing material support to Kurds and others fighting the same regime. It seems like the whole battle in Syria is mired in so many different players that there is no type of scorecard that might help. Seems further that he is only condemned by his own words. Wonder how much of what he was saying on the internet was real and how much was bravado? A screwball all the same and potentially a problem here in the US. Take away the guys passport and dump him in Syria never to come back to the US. Let me live in that cesspool and make his way.

[Seastallion]

So, he's accused, by the US, of fighting the people the US want to be fought?

Tough break.