American ISIS Supporter John T. Booker Jr. Charged With Plotting Suicide Bomb; He's Mentally Ill, Says Muslim Cleric
A 20-year-old Kansas man was arrested Friday for allegedly plotting to detonate a car bomb at the Fort Riley military base on behalf of the Islamic State, or ISIS, terror group. A Muslim cleric, who was counseling him at the FBI's request, says he is mentally ill.
John T. Booker Jr., who is also known as Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, used inert bomb material provided by undercover FBI operatives, federal prosecutors said Friday, according to NBC News.
"I want to assure the public there was never any breach of Fort Riley Military Base, nor was the safety or the security of the base or its personnel ever at risk," FBI Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson was quoted as saying in a statement.
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The man was charged with one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, one count of attempting to damage property and one count of attempting to provide material support to ISIS, according to the Justice Department.
"As alleged in the complaint, John Booker attempted to attack U.S. military personnel on U.S. soil purportedly in the name of (ISIS)," Fox News quoted Assistant Attorney General John Carlin as saying. "Thanks to the efforts of the law enforcement community, we were able to safely disrupt this threat to the brave men and women who serve our country. Protecting American lives by identifying and bringing to justice those who wish to harm U.S. citizens remains the National Security Division's number one priority."
The accused was trying to arm what he believed was a 1,000 pound bomb outside the military base.
Booker told an FBI informant he wanted to kill Americans and engage in violent jihad on behalf of ISIS, which is also known as ISIL, prosecutors said, according to The Associated Press. They added he acted based on his interpretation of the verse in the Quran, which "says to kill your enemies wherever they are."
Imam Omar Hazim of the Islamic Center of Topeka told AP that FBI agents brought Booker to him for counseling last year. The cleric told the agents that Booker suffered from bipolar disorder, and that he had concerns about allowing Booker to move freely in the community.
A grand jury is likely to consider the case next week.
Booker joined the military last February. A month later, he posted a message on Facebook, which read, "Getting ready to be killed in jihad is a HUGE adrenaline rush! I am so nervous. NOT because I'm scared to die but I am eager to meet my lord." His military enlistment was terminated days later.
Friday night, another man, Alexander Blair of Topeka, was charged with one count of failing to report a felony in connection with the alleged plot.
ISIS is an offshoot of al-Qaeda and wants to establish a caliphate in the Levant region and beyond. It has gained control over large swathes of territories in Syria and Iraq. It is believed to have hundreds of foreign fighters, including those from the United States and Europe.
