As the FBI implores good New Yorkers to report any murderous ISIS terrorists they see roaming the streets of Brooklyn, and as Twitter-savvy [7] jihadists look set to dethrone American icon Mark Zuckerberg by launching their own version of Facebook, it’s nice to know that at least someone is looking out for the safety of US citizens. As the Dept. Of Justice reports, a joint effort by the FBI and several New Jersey police departments has culminated in the indictment of US Air Force veteran Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh who “allegedly” pulled the terrorist trifecta by first accessing the internet and then traveling from Egypt to Turkey with an iPod and a picture of a machine gun. Here’s more from the government [8]:
As alleged in the complaint, indictment and other court filings, the defendant served in the Air Force as an avionics instrument system specialist and received training in the installation and maintenance of aircraft engine, navigation and weapons systems. After leaving the Air Force, the defendant worked for a number of companies in the United States and Middle East as an avionics specialist and airplane mechanic. The defendant lived abroad for over a year before his arrest in this case.
Earlier this year, weeks after being fired from his last job as an airplane mechanic based in the Middle East, the defendant attempted to join ISIL. On Jan. 10, 2015, the defendant traveled from Egypt to Turkey in an effort to cross the border into Syria to join ISIL and fight violent jihad. Turkish authorities denied the defendant entry, however, and sent him on a return flight to Egypt. Upon his arrival in Egypt, the defendant was carrying multiple electronic devices, including four USB thumb drives that had been stripped of their plastic casings and an iPod that had been wiped clean of data. The defendant also had a cellular telephone that contained, among other things, a photograph of a machine gun. The defendant was soon thereafter deported to the United States.
On Jan. 14, 2015, JTTF agents obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s electronic devices, including his laptop computer. Subsequent exploitation of the laptop revealed, among other things, the following:
recent internet searches for “borders controlled by Islamic state”,
recent internet searches for “who controls kobani,” “kobani border crossing,” and
“jarablus border crossing,” all references to Syrian cities under ISIL’s control near the Turkish border,
a chart of crossing points between Turkey and Syria indicating the areas on the Syrian side of the border controlled by ISIL and other groups, and
internet searches for “Flames of War,” an ISIL propaganda video, as well as downloaded videos, including one showing ISIL members executing prisoners.
The defendant was arrested pursuant to a federal complaint on Jan. 16, 2015, in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and he has been in custody ever since. After the defendant’s arrest, JTTF agents seized and later obtained warrants to search two backpacks that the defendant had when he was overseas. Agents recovered from the backpacks, among other things: two compasses, a solar-powered flashlight, a solar-powered power source, shards of broken USB thumb drives, a fatigue jacket and camping clothes.
There you go — open and shut. Pugh used Google to search for information about ISIS — which every American with a computer does thanks to around-the-clock fear mongering from every mainstream media outlet on the planet — then tried to travel to Turkey from Egypt (where he apparently already was), with camping equipment and some thumb drives which he understandably destroyed once Turkish authorities branded him as a security threat. This is obviously evidence that Pugh sought to “wage violent jihad” and thankfully, he faces more than a quarter century in prison.
As the Dept. of Justice correctly notes, “identifying and bringing to justice individuals who provide or attempt to provide material support to terrorists is a key priority of the National Security Division,” which is why we’re absolutely sure that indictments will be handed down at Langley any day now in connection with the CIA’s inadvertent, taxpayer-sponsored, million dollar Al Qaeda funding [9].
