Soldier in Hawaii arrested in terrorism probe

An active duty soldier based in Hawaii pledged his allegiance to Isis (Islamic State), helped purchase a drone for it to use against American forces and said he wanted to use his rifle to “kill a bunch of people,” according to an FBI affidavit.

Ikaika Kang, a sergeant first class in the US Army, made an initial appearance in federal court in Honolulu. He was arrested at the weekend on terrorism charges.

Paul Delacourt, the FBI special agent in charge of the Hawaii bureau, said Kang gave military documents to people he believed would give them to Isis, but none of them got to the organisation. He told reporters the FBI believes Kang was a lone actor and wasn’t affiliated with anyone who poses a threat.

Kang’s court-appointed defence lawyer, Birney Bervar, said it appears his client may suffer from servicerelated mental health issues of which the Government was aware but neglected to treat. Bervar declined to elaborate. He said Kang was “a decorated veteran of two deployments” to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 26-page affidavit from FBI Special Agent Jimmy Chen details the year-long investigation into the 34-year-old soldier, who thought he was dealing with Isis agents. They were undercover agents or sources instead.

Among the charges was that Kang copied military secret documents in 2015 and wanted to provide them to the organisation, according to the affidavit. It also Kang says admitted that he voluntarily pledged loyalty to Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Kang, a trained air traffic controller based at Hawaii’s Wheeler Army Airfield, had his military clearance revoked in 2012 for making pro-Isis comments and threatening service members. His clearance was reinstated a year later after he completed requirements. The affidavit says the Army believed Kang was becoming radicalised in 2016 and asked the FBI to investigate.