FBI Arrests Former National Guardsman on Terror Charges

On Tuesday July 5th, The United States Department of Justice released a report regarding the arrest of a former Army National Guard Member after he attempted to provide material support to Islamic State.

In their findings, the DOJ illustrated Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, a 26 year old resident of Sterling, Virginia and former member of the Army National Guard, as an Islamic State sympathizer who attempted to procure weapons and provide services to the notorious terrorist group.

The report revealed that Jalloh met with the an FBI confidential human resource (CHS) who posed as an Islamic State affiliate once in April, and again in May of 2016.

During the initial meeting, Jalloh told the FBI agent that he was once a member of the Army National Guard, but that he decided to quit after listening to online lectures by known terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki. Al-Awlaki was a former leader of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penninsula and was killed by a US drone strike in 2011. Awlaki had numerous ties to the September 11th attacks and was one of the most popular English speaking jihadist clerics until his death. Jalloh cited Awlaki as his primary reason for deciding to take up arms for Islamic State.

Additionally, the former guardsman discussed his six-month trip to Africa, where he met with numerous Nigerian IS affiliates. Nigeria is known for its ongoing conflict with the Boko Haram terrorist group. The group has conducted kidnappings, bombings, and assaults in northern Nigeria, as well as parts of Chad and Niger. As recently as 2015, the group pledged allegiance to Islamic State, claiming to be an African enclave of the terror organization.

In the second meeting in June, Jalloh asked the FBI informant about the timeline for a terrorist operation and commented that it was best to plan an attack during Ramadan. Jalloh similarly asked if the CHS could assist him in financially contributing to Islamic State.  During this particular conversation, the informant noted that Jalloh gave praise toward the gunman who killed five U.S. military members in a terrorist attack in Tennessee, in July 2015, and that he himself desired to conduct an attack similar in style to those done in Fort Hood, Texas.

After the meetings, the FBI tracked Jalloh to North Carolina where he unsuccessfully attempted to purchase firearms. Again on July 2nd, Jalloh went to a gun dealership in northern Virginia to obtain weapons. There, he purchased and test-fired a Stag Arms rifle; however, before Jalloh left, the FBI manipulated the weapon to be inoperable. The following day, Jalloh was arrested and the inoperable rifle was seized.

Jalloh could face upwards of 20 years in Federal prison for his crimes. If convicted, the 26-year old would be yet another Northern Virginia IS member. Ultimately, the rise in  Jihadists originating in the U.S. illustrates the strength of Islamic State’s ability to recruit distant from their own strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Additionally, this rise in U.S.-based jihadists demonstrates the ability of any terrorist group, such al-Qaeda, to lure American citizens toward an Islamic ideology that promotes violence.