We keep being told that the Islamic State is losing. Its power to attract American Muslims, however, hasn’t abated. What is being taught in the mosques that leads to this? Monitor the mosques.
“Two California men convicted of trying to aid Islamic State,”
Times of Israel, June 22, 2016:
SANTA ANA, Calif. — Two Southern California men were convicted Tuesday of trying to become fighters for the Islamic State terrorist group.
Nader Elhuzayel and Muhanad Badawi were each convicted of conspiracy to aid a foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison.
The 25-year-old Anaheim men concocted a scheme last year for Elhuzayel to fly to the Middle East to fight for the Islamic State, federal officials said.
Badawi, a college engineering student, also was convicted of aiding and abetting an attempt to provide support for terrorists and financial aid fraud. Authorities say he used a federal college grant to support the cause.
In April 2015, he let Elhuzayel use his debit card to buy a one-way plane ticket to Israel with a six-hour layover in Turkey, according to an FBI court affidavit. He was arrested in May at a security gate at Los Angeles International Airport.
Badawi’s lawyer argued he did his friend a favor, letting him use his card to travel after Elhuzayel told him he wanted to get to Tel Aviv to marry a Palestinian woman he met online.
Elhuzayel also was convicted of 26 counts of bank fraud. Federal officials said he deposited stolen checks in his bank accounts and withdrew money at Orange County banks. Federal officials said he intended to use the cash to go to Syria to fight.
He is facing up to 30 years in federal prison on each bank fraud count.
The FBI affidavit said the men shared their support for the Islamic State in conversation and on social media, sharing photos of “unbelievers” being beheaded and expressing wishes to die as “martyrs.”
Elhuzayel had sworn allegiance to the leader of IS on a video and he used the Islamic State flag as the profile picture on a Facebook page, authorities said….
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