Pakistani doctor who wanted to join Daesh indicted in US

minneapolis — A Pakistani doctor and former Mayo Clinic researcher has been indicted on one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation after authorities say he told paid FBI informants that he pledged allegiance to the Daesh group and wanted to carry out lone wolf attacks in the US.

The indictment against Muhammad Masood, 28, was announced on Friday by US Attorney Erica MacDonald. Masood was initially charged by criminal complaint and has been in custody since his March 19 arrest at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Prosecutors say Masood was in the US on a work visa. They allege in court documents that from January to March, Masood made several statements to paid informants — whom he believed were members of the Daesh group — pledging his allegiance to the group and its leader. He also expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight for the Daesh and carry out lone wolf attacks in the US, they said. Masood messaged an informant “there is so much I wanted to do here .. .lon wulf stuff you know ... but I realized I should be on the ground helping brothers sisters kids,” according to an FBI affidavit. Prosecutors say Masood planned to leave for Amman, Jordan, and go on to Syria at the end of March, but on March 16 he had to change his travel plans because Jordan closed its borders due to the coronavirus pandemic. Masood and one of the informants then developed a plan for him to fly from Minneapolis to Los Angeles to meet with that informant, whom Masood believed would help him travel in a cargo ship into Daesh territory.

Court documents do not name the clinic where Masood worked. The Mayo Clinic has confirmed that Masood formerly worked at the medical centre, but said he was not employed there when he was arrested. An affidavit said the FBI began investigating in January, after learning that someone, later determined to be Masood, had posted messages on an encrypted social media platform indicating an intent to support the Daesh. —

There is so much I wanted to do here .. .lon wulf stuff you know ... but I realized I should be on the ground helping brothers sisters kids Muhammad Masood Terror accused in his message to an informant