Counterterrorism Magazine posted my latest online Threatcon column today. You can read the column via the below link or the below text:
Fighting Terrorism Remains Justice Department’s Top Priority
By Paul Davis
With attention on the Israeli and Ukrainian wars, and with no terrorist attacks directly targeting Americans on U.S. soil in some time, counterterrorism has taken a back seat.
But two recent federal prosecutions last month indicate that we still need to be on guard against terrorism.
On October 8, 2024, the
Justice Department announced charges against an Afghanistan citizen living in
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for conspiring to conduct an Election Day terrorist
attack in the United States on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham
(ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
According to the Justice Department’s criminal
complaint, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, conspired and attempted to provide material
support to ISIS and obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent
attack on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS.
As part of the plot, the Justice Department claims,
the defendant allegedly took steps to liquidate his family’s assets, resettle
members of his family overseas, acquire AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition,
and commit a terrorist attack in the United States.
“As charged, the Justice Department foiled the
defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack
in the name of ISIS on U.S. soil on Election Day,” said Attorney General
Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS
and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify,
investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American
people. I am deeply grateful to the public servants of the FBI, National Security
Division, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma for
their work to disrupt this attack and for the work they do every day to protect
our country.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray added, “This defendant,
motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack, on Election
Day, here on our homeland. I am proud of the men and women of the FBI who
uncovered and stopped the plot before anyone was harmed. Terrorism is still the
FBI's number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the
American people."
Robert Troester, the U.S. Attorney for the Western
District of Oklahoma, also weighed in, “Thanks to the relentless efforts of the
FBI, National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and federal
prosecutors in my office, the alleged plan to commit an attack on Election Day
was disrupted and Mr. Tawhedi was arrested. Fighting terrorism remains the top
priority of the Justice Department. We will continue to pursue, disrupt, and
hold accountable those who plot to commit acts of terrorism against our country
and our people.”
According to the criminal complaint, as part of the
investigation into Tawhedi, “The FBI searched Tawhedi’s phone and obtained
communications between Tawhedi and a person who facilitated recruitment,
training, and indoctrination of persons who expressed interest in terrorist
activity and who Tawhedi understood to be affiliated with ISIS. Tawhedi was
also seen in a video recorded on July 20 reading to two children’s text that
describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife. Tawhedi also
allegedly accessed, viewed, and saved ISIS propaganda on his iCloud and Google
account, participated in pro-ISIS Telegram groups, and contributed to a charity
which fronts for and funnels money to ISIS.”
The criminal complaint also alleges that while
liquidating their family’s assets prior to the attack, Tawhedi and his
co-conspirator, who is a juvenile, advertised the sale of the family’s personal
property on Facebook.
“At the FBI’s direction, a confidential human source
responded to inquire if a computer was still for sale. The FBI source noted
that he needed the computer for a new gun business he was starting, which
ultimately led Tawhedi and the juvenile to meet with the source and other FBI
assets at a rural location to test firearms. Tawhedi expressed interest in
purchasing two AK-47 assault rifles, magazines, and ammunition from the source.”
According to the criminal complaint, on Oct. 7,
Tawhedi and the juvenile met with the FBI assets at a rural location in the
Western District of Oklahoma and purchased, received, and took possession of
two AK-47 assault rifles, ten magazines, and 500 rounds of ammunition. Upon
receipt of the rifles and ammunition, Tawhedi and the juvenile were arrested.
In his seized communications, Tawhedi allegedly
indicated that his attack was planned for Election Day, and in a post-arrest
interview, Tawhedi allegedly confirmed the attack was planned for Election Day
targeting large gatherings of people, during which he and the juvenile were
expected to die as martyrs.
Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to ISIS, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years, and receiving a firearm to be used to commit a felony or a federal crime of terrorism, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years, if convicted.
In another national security case, on
October 11, 2024, Cole Bridges, also known as Cole Gonzales, 24, of Stow, Ohio,
was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised
release for attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign
terrorist organization and attempting to murder U.S. military service members,
based on his efforts to assist the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) to
attack and kill U.S. soldiers in the Middle East.
Bridges pleaded guilty to terrorism charges on
June 14, 2023. According to court documents, Bridges joined the U.S. Army in
September of 2019 and was assigned as a cavalry scout in the Third Infantry
Division based in Fort Stewart, Georgia.
“Before he joined the Army, Bridges began researching
and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their violent ideology
and began to express his support for ISIS and jihad on social media,” the
Justice Department stated.
“In or about October 2020, approximately one year
after joining the Army, Bridges began communicating with an FBI online covert
employee (the OCE), who was posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with ISIS
fighters in the Middle East. During these communications, Bridges expressed his
frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to aid ISIS. Bridges then
provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters who were planning
attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City. Bridges also
provided the OCE with portions of a U.S. Army training manual and guidance
about military combat tactics, with the understanding that the materials would
be used by ISIS in future attack planning.”
The Justice Department added that in or about
December 2020, Bridges began to supply the OCE with instructions for the
purported ISIS fighters on how to attack U.S. forces in the Middle East.
“Among other things, Bridges diagrammed specific
military maneuvers intended to help ISIS fighters maximize the lethality of
future attacks on U.S. troops. Bridges also provided advice about the best way
to fortify an ISIS encampment to ambush U.S. Special Forces, including by
wiring certain buildings with explosives to kill the U.S. troops. Then, in
January 2021, Bridges provided the OCE with a video of himself in his U.S. Army
body armor standing in front of a flag often used by ISIS fighters and making a
gesture symbolic of support for ISIS. Approximately one week later, Bridges
sent a second video in which Bridges, using a voice manipulator, narrated a
propaganda speech in support of the anticipated ambush by ISIS on U.S. troops.”
The FBI's New York Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with valuable assistance provided by the FBI field offices in Washington, Atlanta, and Cleveland; U.S. Army Counterintelligence, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command, and U.S. Army Third Infantry Division.
Paul Davis’ Threatcon column covers crime, espionage and terrorism.
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