The Telegram (St. John's)

Three tagged in travel-for-terrorism bust

U.S. suspects face charges they plotted to go to Syria to join Islamic State group

- BY COLLEEN LONG

Three men were arrested Wednesday on charges of plotting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group and wage war against the U.S., and federal officials said one of them spoke of shooting U.S. President Barack Obama or planting a bomb on Coney Island.

Akhror Saidakhmet­ov — a Brooklyn resident and citizen of Kazakhstan — was arrested at Kennedy Airport, where he was attempting to board a flight to Istanbul, authoritie­s said.

Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev — a Brooklyn resident from Uzbekistan — had a ticket to travel to Istanbul next month and was arrested in Brooklyn, federal prosecutor­s said. The two were held without bail after a brief court appearance in New York.

A third defendant, Abror Habibov, 30, from Uzbekistan and is accused of helping fund Saidakhmet­ov’s efforts.

The three are charged with attempt and conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organizati­on. If convicted, each faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.

“This is real,” said William Bratton, commission­er of the New York Police Department. “This is the concern about the lone wolf, inspired to act without ever going to the Mideast.”

The Justice Department has charged about 20 people in the past year with planning to travel to the Middle East to fight alongside militants like the Islamic State group.

Federal officials have been concerned about Americans going overseas to train with these groups and returning with plots to carry out attacks at home.

Federal prosecutor­s say Juraboev, 24, first came to the at- tention of law enforcemen­t in August, when he posted on an Uzbek-language website that propagates the Islamic State ideology.

“Greetings! We too want to pledge our allegiance and commit ourselves while not present there,” he wrote, according to federal authoritie­s. “Is it possible to commit ourselves as dedicated martyrs anyway while here?”

“What I’m saying is, to shoot Obama and then get shot ourselves, will it do? That will strike fear in the hearts of infidels.”

Officials said they believed he planned to travel from Turkey to Syria to join the terror group.

Prosecutor­s say Saidakhmet­ov, 19, also threatened an attack in the U.S. if he was unable to join the Islamic State.

Juraboev’s plans included attacks against Obama or planting a bomb on Coney Island, officials said.

Federal officials say Juraboev identified Saidakhmet­ov as a friend with a shared ideology. The two exchanged messages on how to get overseas, and Saidakhmet­ov and an informant watched videos of Islamic State training camps in Syria, according to court papers.

Saidakhmet­ov told the informant in September he wanted to travel to Syria for jihad, or holy war, but that his concerned mother confiscate­d his passport so he couldn’t travel, the complaint said. He said he would lie and tell her he planned to go to Uzbekistan to visit relatives. When he called to ask for his passport back, she hung up the phone.

Saidakhmet­ov’s attorney, Adam Perlmutter, said his client was a “young, innocent kid” who would plead not guilty.

“This is the type of case that highlights everything that is wrong with how the Justice Department approaches these cases,” Perlmutter said.

 ?? PHOTO BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? A Homeland Security police officer (left) and a Federal Court policeman provide security during the arraignmen­t of two men on terrorism-related charges Wednesday in Brooklyn, N.Y.
PHOTO BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A Homeland Security police officer (left) and a Federal Court policeman provide security during the arraignmen­t of two men on terrorism-related charges Wednesday in Brooklyn, N.Y.

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