WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th December, 2019) A US citizen who planned to travel on a container ship to join the Islamic State (banned in Russia) terror group in Syria has been charged with attempting to provide material support to a terror group, the Department of Justice said in a press release on Monday.
"As alleged in the complaint, [Ahmad Khalil] Elshazly was bent on supporting ISIS [Islamic State]. Worried that his efforts here would be too small and that he would be stopped at the airport, he planned to travel overseas aboard a container ship to join and fight for ISIS," Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Demers said in the release.
The criminal complaint charges that Elshazly, a US citizen, made numerous statements to others, both in person and through online messaging applications, expressing a desire to travel to Syria and the surrounding area to fight on behalf of the Islamic State, the release said.
In February 2019, Elshazly stated that he had saved approximately $1,000 with the intention of using the money to travel to Jordan to transit to Syria to be with Islamic State, the release said.
Elshazly arranged to travel by ship to Turkey and paid $500 for a portion of the trip, the release said.
On December 15, 2019, Elshazly was arrested after he arrived at a dock in the state of Connecticut, where he expected to begin his trip, the release added.
Elshazly faces a maximum prison term of 20 years, according to the release.
