Abdirizak Warsame (a.k.a. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame) is an American citizen who is believed to have led a group of 10 Somali-American men from Minnesota who conspired to join ISIS in Syria.Mike Levine, “Feds Arrest ‘Emir’ of ISIS-Related Recruitment Effort in Minnesota,” ABC 7 (Los Angeles), December 10, 2015, http://abc7.com/news/feds-arrest-emir-of-isis-related-recruitment-effort-in-minnesota/1117161/. Warsame was arrested on December 9, 2015.“Minnesota man accused of conspiring to help Islamic State,” NY Daily News, December 10, 2015, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/minnesota-man-accused-conspiring-islamic-state-article-1.2460965. He pled guilty to terrorism charges on February 11, 2016, telling the judge that he was radicalized by watching videos of al-Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki.Mukhtar Ibrahim, ‘Terror suspect: Videos, not Minn. mosques, inspired me to seek out ISIS,” MPR News, February 11, 2016, http://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/02/11/isis-suspect-radicalized-by-videos-not-mosques. After cooperating with authorities, Warsame was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison on November 14, 2016.Associated Press, “Cooperation Results in Light Sentences in Islamic State Case,” New York Times, November 14, 2016, http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/11/14/us/ap-us-islamic-state-americans-minnesota.html?_r=1. In April 2018, he was released from federal prison and sent into the custody of a residential re-entry center.Stephen Montemayor, “Minneapolis man sentenced in ISIS case gets extra time at halfway house for gambling on soccer matches,” Star Tribune, August 8, 2018, http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-man-sentenced-in-isis-case-gets-extra-time-at-halfway-house-for-gambling-on-soccer-matches/490268781/. He was then released to his family in the summer of 2019 and is under probation.Hannah Allam, “‘They Wish Me Dead.’ Convict In ISIS Case Faces Backlash For Helping Feds,” NPR, November 20, 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/781111733/they-wish-me-dead-convict-in-isis-case-faces-backlash-for-helping-feds.

Apart from Warsame, the group of alleged co-conspirators includes Abdullahi Yusuf, Guled Ali Omar, Adnan Abdihamid Farah, Zacharia Abdurahman, Abdiwali Nur, Mohamed Abdihamid Farah, Abdirahman Yasin Daud, Hamza Ahmed, and Hanad Mustafe Musse.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 4 – 6, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf; Laura Yuen, Mukhtar Ibrahim, and Sasha Aslanian, “Called to fight: Minnesota’s ISIS recruits,” Minnesota Public Radio News, March 25, 2015, http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/03/25/minnesota-isis. Three of the men pled guilty to terrorism-related charges.Terror Suspect Arrested, Accused Of Helping Others Join ISIS,” CBS Minnesota, December 9, 2015, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/10th-terror-suspect-arrested-accused-of-helping-others-join-isis/. The only member believed to have successfully reached Syria was Abdiwali Nur, who traveled through Istanbul in May 2014.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 8, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf. Authorities now believe that Nur is dead.Laura Yuen, “3 of 9 Twin Cities men sentenced in ISIS conspiracy trial,” MPR News, November 14, 2016, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/11/14/first-day-of-sentencing-isis-trial.

When Abdullahi Yusuf learned that Nur had flown to Turkey in spring 2014 with the intention of fighting alongside ISIS in Syria,“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 4, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf, it prompted Yusuf to meet with Warsame and Omar to discuss making similar plans.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 4, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf. Afterward, the three men played basketball, then later watched jihadist propaganda videos with the other six individuals. Following their initial meeting, the group met regularly to discuss traveling to Syria to join and fight with ISIS.Dan Browning and Mary Lynn Smith, “Judge orders Twin Cities man suspected of ISIL support held,” Star Tribune (Minneapolis), December 10, 2015, http://www.startribune.com/feds-charge-another-somali-youth-with-supporting-isil-terrorists/361354001/.

Warsame encouraged those of his friends with passports and money to travel to Syria by the end of the summer of 2014.“Minnesota man accused of conspiring to help Islamic State,” NY Daily News, December 10, 2015, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/minnesota-man-accused-conspiring-islamic-state-article-1.2460965. He helped to pay for expedited passport applications, prepared travel itineraries, and shopped for items needed for their trips.“Minnesota man accused of conspiring to help Islamic State,” NY Daily News, December 10, 2015, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/minnesota-man-accused-conspiring-islamic-state-article-1.2460965; “10th Terror Suspect Arrested, Accused Of Helping Others Join ISIS,” CBS Minnesota, December 9, 2015, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/10th-terror-suspect-arrested-accused-of-helping-others-join-isis/; “United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 6, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf. Warsame himself attempted to apply for an expedited passport in the spring of 2014, however, his application was denied. He eventually obtained a passport in August of 2014, although he apparently never made any effort to travel.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 7, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf.

Several members of Warsame’s group attempted to leave the United States. Some tried to fly out of Minneapolis and others took buses across the country in an attempt to leave from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York. Law enforcement officials were able to thwart their attempts and prevent them from boarding their flights.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 8, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf; “10^th Terror Suspect Arrested, Accused Of Helping Others Join ISIS,” CBS Minnesota, December 9, 2015, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/10th-terror-suspect-arrested-accused-of-helping-others-join-isis/.

In the spring of 2015, the group revived the idea of traveling to Syria. Warsame suggested that they leave through Mexico instead of the United States. “10^th Terror Suspect Arrested, Accused Of Helping Others Join ISIS,” CBS Minnesota, December 9, 2015, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2015/12/09/10th-terror-suspect-arrested-accused-of-helping-others-join-isis/; “United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 11, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf; Dan Browning and Mary Lynn Smith, “Judge orders Twin Cities man suspected of ISIL support held,” December 10, 2015, Star Tribune (Minneapolis), http://www.startribune.com/feds-charge-another-somali-youth-with-supporting-isil-terrorists/361354001/.

Warsame was arrested in December of 2015 and charged with one count of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization.“United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 15, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf. Although he reportedly made no attempt to leave the country to take part in jihad, Warsame encouraged and aided the other members of the group to do so.Minnesota man accused of conspiring to help Islamic State,” December 10, 2015, NY Daily News, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/minnesota-man-accused-conspiring-islamic-state-article-1.2460965; “United States of America v. Abdirizak Mohamed Warsame,” U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, December 9, 2015, 15, http://kstp.com/kstpImages/repository/cs/files/WarsameComplaint.pdf.>

Warsame pled guilty in February of 2016.Dina Temple-Raston, “Jihad Rehab Program To Get Second Participant,” NPR, February 11, 2016, http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/11/466466779/jihad-rehab-program-gets-second-participant?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=storiesfromfreshairnewsandworld. In March, Minnesotan U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ordered that Warsame—alongside Abdurahman, Musse, and Yusuf—be evaluated for a de-radicalization program.Stephen Montemayor and Mila Koumpilova, “Terror suspects will test deradicalization program,” Star Tribune, March 2, 2016, http://www.startribune.com/judge-orders-de-radicalization-study-for-4-terror-defendants/370806141/. German terrorism expert Daniel Koehler determined that Musse was at a high risk for reoffending.Esme Murphy, “German Expert: U.S. Way Behind In Terrorism De-Radicalization,” CBS Minnesota, September 21, 2016, http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/09/21/deradicalization-expert/.

On November 14, 2016, Warsame—after serving 11 months in jail and cooperating with authorities—was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison with 20 years of supervised release. Judge Michael Davis told Warsame that he was “not convinced [he was] still not a jihadist.”Laura Yuen, “3 of 9 Twin Cities men sentenced in ISIS conspiracy trial,” MPR News, November 14, 2016, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/11/14/first-day-of-sentencing-isis-trial. Warsame had appeared on 60 minutes in October of 2016 to denounce ISIS and share his story. Davis reportedly told the court that Warsame’s appearance on television was just “another chess move.”“In God’s Name,” 60 Minutes, October 30, 2016, http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-american-teen-isis-cell-leader-scott-pelley/; Laura Yuen, “3 of 9 Twin Cities men sentenced in ISIS conspiracy trial,” MPR News, November 14, 2016, https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/11/14/first-day-of-sentencing-isis-trial.

In April 2018, Warsame was released from an Illinois federal prison and sent to a residential re-entry center.Stephen Montemayor, “Minneapolis man sentenced in ISIS case gets extra time at halfway house for gambling on soccer matches,” Star Tribune, August 8, 2018, http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-man-sentenced-in-isis-case-gets-extra-time-at-halfway-house-for-gambling-on-soccer-matches/490268781/. He was ordered to undergo a substance abuse assessment following a report from his probation officer that Warsame used synthetic marijuana and other narcotics while in prison.Stephen Montemayor, “Minneapolis man sentenced in ISIS case gets extra time at halfway house for gambling on soccer matches,” Star Tribune, August 8, 2018, http://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-man-sentenced-in-isis-case-gets-extra-time-at-halfway-house-for-gambling-on-soccer-matches/490268781/. During his stay at the center, Warsame admitted he gambled on soccer games and collected winnings. On August 7, 2018, a U.S. District Court Judge added 15 days to his term at the center, as requested by his probation officer.Frank Rajkowski, “Man Sentenced in ISIS Conspiracy Admits to Gambling at Halfway House,” KSTP-TV (Minnesota), August 7, 2019, https://kstp.com/news/man-sentenced-in-isis-conspiracy-admits-to-gambling-at-halfway-house-abdirizak-mohamed-warsame/5020706/. Warsame was then released to his family in the summer of 2019.Hannah Allam, “‘They Wish Me Dead.’ Convict In ISIS Case Faces Backlash For Helping Feds,” NPR, November 20, 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/781111733/they-wish-me-dead-convict-in-isis-case-faces-backlash-for-helping-feds. According to an interview with his mother, Warsame and his family have been ostracized by the Somali community in Minneapolis due to his cooperation with federal authorities.Hannah Allam, “‘They Wish Me Dead.’ Convict In ISIS Case Faces Backlash For Helping Feds,” NPR, November 20, 2019, https://www.npr.org/2019/11/20/781111733/they-wish-me-dead-convict-in-isis-case-faces-backlash-for-helping-feds.

U.S.-born Maalik Alim Jones (also known as “Abdimalik Jones”) is a former foreign fighter for al-Shabaab in Somalia. Somali forces arrested Jones in December 2015 and transferred him to the United States later that month. The U.S. government indicted Jones in January 2016, and he has since been charged with four terrorism-related counts and one count of possessing a firearm during a crime of violence. Jones has been described in news reports as a white man with a long beard and a missing index finger. He reportedly does not speak any Somali.“US airstrikes kill the leader of ISIS in Libya who is also thought to be the fanatic seen threatening the West in chilling Coptic beheading video,” Daily Mail (London), December 7, 2015, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3349842/Pentagon-confirms-airstrikes-killed-head-ISIS-Libya-senior-al-Shabaab-leader-Somalia.html. In September 2017, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to al-Shabaab.“United States Citizen Pleads Guilty To Providing Material Support To Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-citizen-pleads-guilty-providing-material-support-al-shabaab.

According to a report by the Baltimore Sun, Jones was raised in a predominantly African-American Muslim community in Upton, West Baltimore. There, he attended a private K-12 Islamic school and a nearby mosque. Residents of Upton claim that there were few signs that Jones was radicalized before he joined the terrorist group in Somalia.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

In 2005, Jones married a woman from Morocco. Three years later, Jones was charged with child abuse and second-degree assault after severely attacking his nephew. Court documents show that Jones pleaded guilty to the charges and spent close to a month in jail. He was fined $100, court-ordered to receive treatment for anger management, and given two years’ probation.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

In July of 2011, Jones left behind his wife and two young children to join al-Shabaab in Somalia. According to court documents, Jones reached the terrorist group after traveling through New York, the United Arab Emirates, and Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Indictment, U.S. Department of Justice, January 11, 2016, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812376/download. Once joining up with al-Shabaab, Jones allegedly attended an al-Shabaab training camp, where he received religious indoctrination, and learned how to shoot firearms and operate rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs).Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html.

After completing training with al-Shabaab, Jones allegedly joined a specialized commando unit within al-Shabaab's fighting arm. The unit, Jaysh Ayman, is allegedly responsible for a slew of attacks in Somalia, as well as cross-border raids on military and civilian targets in neighboring Kenya.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. Among other targets in both Kenya and Somalia, Jaysh Ayman is allegedly responsible for a June 6, 2014, attack on a hotel bar in Mpekatoni, Kenya, killing 40; a July 2014 attack on government buildings, a trading center, and a church in the coastal village of Hindi, Kenya, killing nine; and the June 14, 2015, attack on a Kenyan army base in Lamu County, Kenya, killing two soldiers.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 8-9, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. During his time with al-Shabaab, Jones appeared in at least two videos with the terrorist group, according to court documents.em>United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 13, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download.

In December 2015, Jones was arrested by Somali security forces 10 miles southwest of Mogadishu, allegedly while trying to flee the country for Yemen.United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, 13, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download. After the FBI filed a criminal complaint against Jones on December 12, Jones was secretly flown back to the United States and brought to a U.S. court in New York.Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html. Early news reports claimed that Jones had surrendered to law enforcement in Somalia after defecting from al-Shabaab amid internal disagreements between the group’s foreign fighters and Somali fighters over whether the jihadists should pledge allegiance to ISIS or remain affiliated with al-Qaeda.Associated Press, “Somali forces arrest American fighting with Islamic rebels,” Journal, December 7, 2015, http://www.cortezjournal.com/article/20151207/API/312079682/SomaliforcesarrestAmericanfightingwithIslamicrebels;
Associated Press, “2 American extremists defect in Somalia amid tensions,” Business Insider, December 8, 2015, http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-2-american-extremists-defect-in-somalia-amid-tensions-2015-12;
Ian Duncan, “Accused al-Shabaab fighter came from heart of Baltimore's African-American Muslim community,” Baltimore Sun, January 17, 2016, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-maalik-jones-al-shabbab-20160117-story.html. Some reports have suggested that Jones fled al-Shabaab out of fear of being targeted by the group's secret police.Tom Odula, “Official: 200 al-Shabab fighters pledge allegiance to IS,” Associated Press, December 24, 2015, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e686123d8e8f4290851a279e812e25ff/official-200-al-shabab-fighters-pledge-allegiance;
“US born al-Shabaab insurgent Abdimalik Jones surrenders,” YouTube video, 0:42, Posted by CCTV Africa, December 8, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfuVXoZNU9A.

According to a phone interview in December 2015 between Reuters and a Maryland man identified as “Malik John,” the interviewee (believed to be Maalik Jones) “decided to leave [al-Shabaab] two months ago [in October 2015].” During the interview, “John” claimed that he “hated [al-Shabaab] because [he] found their ideology was totally wrong.”Feisal Omar, “U.S. citizen who fought for Islamist group surrenders in Somalia: official,” Reuters, December 7, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-somalia-militants-usa-idUSKBN0TQ2K320151207. However, U.S. court documents filed in December 2015 and January 2016 make no reference to a surrender or defection by Jones from al-Shabaab, neither due to ideological reasons, nor reasons tied to personal safety.Andrea Noble, “Maryland man indicted for support of al Shabaab,” January 11, 2016, Washington Times, http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/11/maalik-alim-jones-indicted-support-al-shabaab/;
United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Criminal Complaint, U.S. Department of Justice, December 12, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812381/download;
United States of America v. Maalik Alim Jones: Indictment, U.S. Department of Justice, January 11, 2016, http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/812376/download.

On September 8, 2017, Jones pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to and receive military training from al-Shabaab, and carrying and using an AK-47 machine gun, rocket-propelled grenades, and other weapons on behalf of the terrorist group. The military training charge carries a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The military training charge carries a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison.“United States Citizen Pleads Guilty To Providing Material Support To Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 8, 2017, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/united-states-citizen-pleads-guilty-providing-material-support-al-shabaab. On May 29, 2018, Jones was sentenced to 35 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release.“United States Citizen Sentenced to 35 Years for Providing Material Support to Al-Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 29, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/united-states-citizen-sentenced-35-years-providing-material-support-al-shabaab. He is currently incarcerated at Metropolitan Correctional Center in Brooklyn, New York, with a scheduled release date of November 11, 2045.“Maalik Alim Jones,” Find an Inmate – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed January 25, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/.

Jones was arrested around the same time as Muhammed Abdullahi Hassan a.k.a. Mujahid Miski, a Minnesotan who fought with al-Shabaab and promoted jihadist ideology online. The U.S. State Department issued a statement saying that Miski had “surrendered to the Federal Government of Somalia on November 6, 2015.”Email from U.S. State Department spokesman, December 7, 2015. In an exclusive interview with Voice of America while in custody, Miski admitted to working for al-Shabaab’s “media and preaching departments,” but left in 2013 because he believed the group was unfairly imprisoning, torturing, and killing people.Dan Joseph and Harun Maruf, “American Al-Shabab, Nabbed in Somalia, Denies IS Links,” Voice of America, December 8, 2015, http://m.voanews.com/a/american-al-shabab-arrested-in-somalia-denies-links-to-is/3093529.html.

Described as a “war tourist” by a policy analyst in Washington, D.C.,Scott Shane, Rebekah Zemanskyap, “Judge Rules Against Veteran Who Fought Alongside Syrian Rebels,” New York Times, April 8, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/eric-harroun-who-fought-with-syrian-rebels-loses-a-court-fight.html?_r=0. Eric Harroun was captivated by the Middle East years before his first visit to the region in 2003.Robert Young Pelton, “The All-American Life and Death of Eric Harroun,” Vice News, April 11, 2014, https://news.vice.com/article/the-all-american-life-and-death-of-eric-harroun. Between 2003 and 2008, Harroun traveled back and forth between the U.S. and the Middle East, visiting Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, and Egypt.Robert Young Pelton, “The All-American Life and Death of Eric Harroun,” Vice News, April 11, 2014, https://news.vice.com/article/the-all-american-life-and-death-of-eric-harroun. There are no reports that he engaged with extremist groups or was radicalized during this period. However, he did grow increasingly sympathetic to the problems in the region during this time, blaming not only local governments but U.S. foreign policy as well.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria.

As a result, Harroun participated in anti-government protests in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt in 2010, and by 2012 was fighting alongside anti-Assad militants in Syria.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. Harroun’s war coverage—on the Internet and specifically social media—was widespread.Scott Shane, Rebekah Zemanskyap, “Judge Rules Against Veteran Who Fought Alongside Syrian Rebels,” New York Times, April 8, 2013, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/world/eric-harroun-who-fought-with-syrian-rebels-loses-a-court-fight.html?_r=0.

From January 2013 to March 2013, Harroun engaged in anti-Assad militant activities in Syria.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. He came under scrutiny by American intelligence and law enforcement for videos that he posted on Facebook and YouTube.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. Some of these images allegedly include Harroun alongside anti-Assad forces that may have been Nusra Front militants.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria;
Carol Cratty, “Army veteran pleads to lesser charge in Syria fighting case,” CNN, September 20, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/eric-harroun-plea-deal-syria/. The Nusra Front was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in December 2012.Michael R. Gordon, Anne Bernard, “U.S. Places Militant Syrian Rebel Group on List of Terrorist Organizations,” New York Times, December 10, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/11/world/middleeast/us-designates-syrian-al-nusra-front-as-terrorist-group.html?_r=0.

Once Harroun returned to the United States on March 27, 2013, he voluntarily met with FBI agents at Dulles Airport and was detained the next day on charges that included using a weapon of mass destruction and conspiring to provide material support to a FTO.Robert Young Pelton, “A Weapon of Minor Destruction,” Foreign Policy, April 4, 2013, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/04/a-weapon-of-minor-destruction/. His public defender at an April 2013 hearing in Virginia argued that there was no evidence to support the allegation that Harroun worked with any terrorist organization. Harroun was released months later in September 2013 on the lesser “export charge involving conspiracy to transfer defense articles.” The court later accepted his period of detainment from March 2013 to September 2013 as a sufficient period of time served.Carol Cratty, “Army veteran pleads to lesser charge in Syria fighting case,” CNN, September 20, 2013, http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/20/politics/eric-harroun-plea-deal-syria/.

This was unlikely Harroun’s first encounter with American officials. A New Yorker article published in early 2015 asserts possible ongoing communications between Harroun and a CIA case officer who went by the name of “Wayne” as early as 2008.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. In February of 2009, the article indicates Harroun planned to learn Arabic and convert to Islam “at the behest of” American intelligence.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. Harroun converted to Islam in Tucson, Arizona, in May 2009 before leaving for Egypt where he moved into a hostel near Tahrir Square, the epicenter for the 2011 protests.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. Consequently, some writers, like Robert Young Pelton, raise the question as to whether Harroun was “duped” into becoming an FBI informant.Robert Young Pelton, “A Weapon of Minor Destruction,” Foreign Policy, April 4, 2013, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/04/a-weapon-of-minor-destruction/.

Other writers like Gregg Tepper and Ilan Ben Zion have alternatively written for Foreign Policy and other outlets highlighting a more traditional assessment of Harroun as a radicalized American jihadist who embraced Islam through friendships with Muslims in the United States and abroad. Tepper and Ben Zion also note that in ongoing direct communications with Harroun, the would-be jihadist presented himself as “a self-described Sunni Muslim” who claimed to be a Nusra member.Greg Tepper, Ilan Ben Zion, “The Jihadist from Phoenix,” Foreign Policy, March 22, 2013, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/03/22/the-jihadist-from-phoenix/?wp_login_redirect=0 . The authors also note that Harroun called one of the authors a “kike” repeatedly over the period of their interactions and denounced the authors as “Zionist conspirators” for an article on him posted on Fox News.Greg Tepper, Ilan Ben Zion, “The Jihadist from Phoenix,” Foreign Policy, March 22, 2013, http://foreignpolicy.com/2013/03/22/the-jihadist-from-phoenix/?wp_login_redirect=0 .

It is unclear whether Eric Harroun’s radicalization was authentic or part of his purported role as an informant to U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Harroun was born in 1981 in Colorado. He was arrested in sixth grade for robbery and described in military records between 2000 and 2003 as having a “personality disorder.”Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria. Harroun was honorably discharged in 2003 after incurring serious injuries in a car accident in April of that same year.Nicholas Schmidle, “Lost in Syria,” New Yorker, February 16, 2015, http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/16/lost-syria.

Harroun died of an accidental drug overdose on April 8, 2014.Anna Therese Day, “American Jihadist Who Fought in Syria Dies of an Overdose in Arizona,” Daily Beast, April 10, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/10/american-jihadist-who-fought-in-syria-dies-of-an-overdose-in-arizona.html.

Amiir Farouk Ibrahim was reportedly the second American to die fighting alongside ISIS.Betsy Hiel, “Quick demise of ISIS terrorist group unlikely, experts say,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, February 7, 2015, http://triblive.com/usworld/betsyhiel/7730474-74/isis-syria-paz#axzz3pmghFC3v.

Ibrahim was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and held dual U.S.-Egyptian citizenship. His father, Farouk, worked for Pittsburgh’s steel industry and spent 14 years in western Pennsylvania. The family returned to the Middle East when Ibrahim was a small child.Betsy Hiel and Carl Prine, “Pittsburgh man reported killed in Syria,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 26, 2013, http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/4415705-74/ibrahim-syria-syrian#axzz3pmghFC3v. Ibrahim returned to the United States in 2003 to attend college.Carl Prine and Betsy Hiel, “Pittsburgh-born man seduced by Syria's holy war,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 27, 2013, http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/4423864-74/ibrahim-syria-foreign#axzz3pmghFC3v. After he graduated in 2008, Ibrahim reportedly wanted to stay in America to proselytize for Islam, but his family convinced him to return to Cairo.Betsy Hiel and Carl Prine, “Pittsburgh man reported killed in Syria,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 26, 2013, http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/4415705-74/ibrahim-syria-syrian#axzz3pmghFC3v.

Ibrahim was heavily involved in Islamic activities, and worked at an Islamic university in Cairo. In 2011, Ibrahim began posting Islamist propaganda on his Facebook page. He supported the Islamist Hazem Abu Ismail, who was running for president against Hosni Mubarak. Ibrahim wrote that he dreamed of Egypt becoming an Islamic state. Ibrahim also praised Mohammed Bouyeri, who murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh in November 2004 over an anti-Islam film Van Gogh had made. Ibrahim referred to Bouyeri as a “hero” who “put an end to these extreme insults … making fun of our religion and Quran.” Ibrahim also referred to Shiite Muslims as “Shia dogs in Iraq.”Betsy Hiel, “Web postings praise killer of Dutch filmmaker, jihad,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 26, 2013, http://triblive.com/usworld/betsyhiel/4424262-74/bouyeri-filmmaker-gogh#axzz3pmghFC3v.

In early 2013, Ibrahim reportedly met a group of Turkish men who allegedly wanted Ibrahim to join them in a software business. Between February and March 2013, Ibrahim moved to Turkey. From Turkey he crossed into Syria. Ibrahim would call his family from Syria and tell them he was helping people escape the fighting. His father refused to speak to him during those calls. Farouk Ibrahim had earlier refused his son’s request for permission to go to Syria.Betsy Hiel and Carl Prine, “Pittsburgh man reported killed in Syria,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 26, 2013, http://triblive.com/news/editorspicks/4415705-74/ibrahim-syria-syrian#axzz3pmghFC3v.

In July 2013, the U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights found Ibrahim’s passport in an abandoned ISIS camp among a stack of travel documents belonging to foreign fighters. ISIS had retreated from the camp after fighting with the Kurdish group Yekineyen Parastina Gel (People’s Protection Units, or YPG). The British group said it did not know the fate of the passports’ owners, but one of Ibrahim’s brothers in Cairo reported to the media that a friend had told him Ibrahim had been killed in Syria.Betsy Hiel, “Web postings praise killer of Dutch filmmaker, jihad,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, July 26, 2013, http://triblive.com/usworld/betsyhiel/4424262-74/bouyeri-filmmaker-gogh#axzz3pmghFC3v.

Sixto Ramiro Garcia was an American foreign fighter who traveled from Houston, Texas, to Syria to join ISIS alongside his friend, Asher Abid Khan.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download. Garcia was a Mexican-born convert who went by the name Abdullah Ali.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html.

Garcia grew up in the suburbs of Houston, Texas, and attended high school with Khan. The pair watched extremist videos online, and photos began to emerge of Garcia posing with a black flag and rifles on Instagram.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html. Khan’s relationship with his parents became strained as he objected to his parents’ decision to work at a business that sold alcohol.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html. Due to family tensions, he moved to Australia to live with his uncle in October 2013. He later joined Hizb ut-Tahrir, an international political organization that seeks to create an Islamic caliphate, and began considering the idea of traveling to Syria as a foreign fighter.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html.

Khan reached out to Garcia via Facebook on January 6, 2014, to inform him he wanted to go to Iraq to join ISIS.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download. Over the next few days, the pair researched and discussed travel logistics and on January 11, 2014, Khan messaged an ISIS facilitator on Facebook to express their desires to join.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download;
“Texas man arrested after family lures him back from ISIS’ clutches,” Fox News, May 26, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/26/texas-man-arrested-after-family-lures-him-back-from-isis-clutches/.

The facilitator only identified himself as “Mohammad” to the men.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html. According to the FBI, Mohammad was a Turkish national who had several Facebook accounts that he used to recruit and direct foreign fighters.“Texas man arrested after family lures him back from ISIS’ clutches,” Fox News, May 26, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/26/texas-man-arrested-after-family-lures-him-back-from-isis-clutches/. He advised Garcia and Khan how to get to Turkey, and planned to smuggle them across the Syrian border. He told them to purchase inexpensive, one-way tickets, an untraceable cellphone, and to trim their beards to not appear suspicious.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download;
“Texas man arrested after family lures him back from ISIS’ clutches,” Fox News, May 26, 2015, http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/05/26/texas-man-arrested-after-family-lures-him-back-from-isis-clutches/.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Garcia traveled from Houston, Texas to London, United Kingdom on February 23, 2014.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download. The next day, Khan flew from Malaysia to Turkey to meet Garcia there later that night. However, Khan’s family contacted him saying that his mother had become seriously ill. They hoped this fallacy would cause him to return home. James Queally, “Texas man arrested, accused of helping friend travel overseas to join Islamic State,” Los Angeles Times, May 26, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-texas-islamic-state-support-20150526-story.html.

Upon arriving in Turkey, Garcia learned Khan would not be meeting him there, as his friend had been deceived and had decided to return home. Although he had deserted Garcia, Khan continued to stay in contact with him and made sure Mohammad was able to find him. He messaged the ISIS recruiter and told him how to find his friend so that Garcia could make it across the border.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download.

On February 26, 2014, Garcia and Mohammad met for the first time at the Palladium Mall food court in Antakya, Turkey, a town along the Turkish-Syrian border.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download. Garcia stayed the night at a hotel and met Mohammad the following day at 11 a.m. Later, he contacted Khan and stated he had, “been delivered :)” but he was not yet with ISIS.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download.

Over a month passed before Garcia contacted Khan again, on March 29, 2014, saying he had gone through boot camp and had his own AK-47 rifle. Several weeks later Garcia told Kahn he was still not with ISIS and training with a different group that had just formed but he would join them once his training was complete.“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download.

By August 11, 2014, Garcia informed Khan he had joined the ranks of ISIS and that he “wanted to be with them in the first place.”“United States of America v. Asher Abdin Khan,” U.S. District Court Southern District of Texas, May 25, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/file/441346/download.

In September 2015, the Washington Post reported Garcia was deceased. An unnamed person had used his Facebook account to contact his family to say he had died as a martyr.Adam Goldman, “An American family saved their son from joining the Islamic State. Now he might go to prison,” Washington Post, September 6, 2015, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/an-american-family-saved-their-son-from-joining-the-islamic-state-now-he-might-go-to-prison/2015/09/06/2d3d0f48-44ef-11e5-8ab4-c73967a143d3_story.html.

Abdullah Ramo Pazara is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Bosnian origin believed to be currently fighting for ISIS in Syria.Jack Date, Mike Levine, Pierre Thomas, “US Charges 6 Suspects With Aiding Terrorists,” ABC News, February 6, 2015, http://abcnews.go.com/US/suspects-charged-us-aiding-terrorists/story?id=28789888. Pazara left the United States in May 2013 and traveled to Zagreb, Bosnia and Herzegovina before entering Syria to join ISIS.Pete Wiliams, “Feds Charge 6 With Terrorism-Related Crimes Involving Links to ISIS,” NBC News, February 7, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/feds-charge-6-terrorism-related-crimes-involving-links-isis-n301961. In 2014, Pazara facilitated money transfers between individuals in the U.S. and jihadist organizations in Middle East via Western Union and Paypal.Samantha Masunaga, “6 Bosnian immigrants indicted in alleged overseas terror financing ring,” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-terror-arrest-20150208-story.html. NBC News quoted unnamed “authorities” in stating that Pazara may have been killed in 2014.Pete Wiliams, “Feds Charge 6 With Terrorism-Related Crimes Involving Links to ISIS,” NBC News, February 7, 2015, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/crime-courts/feds-charge-6-terrorism-related-crimes-involving-links-isis-n301961.

Pazara’s activities are well-documented in the indictment of six other Bosnian-Americans who were charged with providing material support to terrorists and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.Samantha Masunaga, “6 Bosnian immigrants indicted in alleged overseas terror financing ring,” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-terror-arrest-20150208-story.html. The support provided by the six consisted of sending money to foreign fighters such as Pazara in amounts ranging from $150 to $1,850. The six individuals are: Ramiz Zijad Hodzic, Sedina Unkic Hodzic, Medy Salkicevic, Jasminka Ramic, Armin Harcevic, and Nihad Rosic.Samantha Masunaga, “6 Bosnian immigrants indicted in alleged overseas terror financing ring,” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-terror-arrest-20150208-story.html. The group communicated via social media, including Facebook.Jason Keyser, “6 Bosnian Immigrants Indicted For Using Facebook, PayPal To Facilitate Extremists In Syria,” Huffington Post, February 7, 2015, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/07/bosnian-six-indictment_n_6637674.html.

Ramiz Hodzic also sent Pazara “U.S. military uniforms, tactical clothes and gear, combat boots, military surplus supplies and other items from businesses in St. Louis” in August 2013 via the U.S. Postal Service. The three boxes of items were first sent to Istanbul, Turkey, and later distributed to foreign fighters including Pazara in Iraq and Syria.Samantha Masunaga, “6 Bosnian immigrants indicted in alleged overseas terror financing ring,” Los Angeles Times, February 8, 2015, http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-terror-arrest-20150208-story.html.

Illinois native Douglas McCain was a convert to Islam and foreign fighter for ISIS. Syrian rebels reported that McCain was killed fighting for the terror group on the weekend of August 23-24, 2014. He was the best friend of Troy Kastigar, an American who died fighting for al-Shabab in Somalia in 2009.Cassandra Vinograd and Amar Cheikh Omar, “American Douglas McAuthur McCain Dies Fighting for ISIS in Syria,” NBC News, August 27, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-douglas-mcauthur-mccain-dies-fighting-isis-syria-n189081.

Federal law enforcement began monitoring McCain in the early 2000s as part of a larger investigation of potentially radicalized Somalis in Minneapolis. McCain was placed on a travel ban of individuals at risk of leaving the United States to fight abroad.Holly Yan, Sonia Moghe, and Greg Botelho, “Douglas McAuthur McCain: From American kid to jihadi in Syria,” CNN, September 3, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/us/who-was-douglas-mccain/.

Between 2000 and 2003, McCain was convicted of multiple crimes, including disorderly conduct and marijuana possession.Holly Yan, Sonia Moghe, and Greg Botelho, “Douglas McAuthur McCain: From American kid to jihadi in Syria,” CNN, September 3, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/us/who-was-douglas-mccain/. It is suspected that McCain converted to Islam in 2004 based on a 2014 tweet in which McCain celebrated his conversion 10 years prior. Tweets published by McCain in 2012 were the first indications of his growing religiosity.Terrence McCoy, “How Douglas McAuthur McCain became the first American to die fighting for the Islamic State,” Washington Post, August 27, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/08/27/how-douglas-mcarthur-mccain-became-the-first-american-to-die-fighting-for-the-islamic-state/.

A Twitter account allegedly operated by McCain tweeted on June 9, 2014, “I will be joining you guys soon.” He followed up the next day, “I’m with the brothers now.” On June 26 he tweeted, “It takes a warrior to understand a warrior,” and “Pray for ISIS.”Holly Yan, Sonia Moghe, and Greg Botelho, “Douglas McAuthur McCain: From American kid to jihadi in Syria,” CNN, September 3, 2014, http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/27/us/who-was-douglas-mccain/. At the time of his death, McCain was reportedly carrying $800 dollars and his American passport.Cassandra Vinograd and Amar Cheikh Omar, “American Douglas McAuthur McCain Dies Fighting for ISIS in Syria,” NBC News, August 27, 2014, http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/american-douglas-mcauthur-mccain-dies-fighting-isis-syria-n189081.

Kastigar was an American who bore arms on behalf of al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate operating in the horn of Africa, especially Somalia. Kastigar was nicknamed “Abdurahman the American” after arriving in Somalia in November 2008.Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html.

Kastigar grew up outside Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope with his close friend and future ISIS fighter Douglas McCain.Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html. Kastigar was described as an affable young man who would bring food to homeless people. Kastigar was also described by close acquaintances as being “easily persuaded.” The impressionable Kastigar resided in the state with the largest concentration of Somalis in the country and a fertile recruiting ground for al-Shabab.Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html.

Kastigar had a few brushes with the law, and a mug shot shows that he had a tattoo on the right side of his neck that included “MOB” in apparent tribute to a local rap crew called GMOB.Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html. In November 2008, Kastigar informed his mother that he was traveling to Kenya to study the Quran. Instead, Kastigar made his way to Somalia to join al-Shabab.Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html.

Kastigar was killed in 2009. After his death, Kastigar was praised by al-Shabab in a recruitment video as a “Minnesotan martyr.”Michael Daly, “American Jihadis Douglas McCain and Troy Kastigar: From Losers to Martyrs,” Daily Beast, August 28, 2014, http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/08/28/american-jihadis-douglas-mccain-and-troy-kastigar-from-loser-to-martyr.html.

Hoda Muthana left her home in Hoover, Alabama, at the age of 20 to join ISIS in Syria. She has since married three jihadist fighters, been widowed twice, and given birth to a baby boy.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ. Following the collapse of ISIS’s so-called caliphate, Muthana and her son fled ISIS’s remaining territory and have lived in a Syrian refugee camp since January 2019. Muthana has expressed her desire to return to the United States with her child to face charges, but the U.S. government has declared that she does not have U.S. citizenship and cannot return, leaving her in a legal limbo.Enjoli Francis and James Longman, “Former ISIS bride who left US for Syria says she 'interpreted everything very wrong,’” ABC News, February 19, 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-bride-left-us-syria-interpreted-wrong/story?id=61175508; “Statement on Hoda Muthana,” U.S. Department of State, February 20, 2019, https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2019/02/289558.htm; Donald J. Trump, Twitter post, February 20, 2019, 4:05 p.m., https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1098327855145062411.

Muthana’s father, Ahmed Ali, worked as a U.N. diplomat on behalf of Yemen and moved to the United States with his wife in 1992.Natalie Musumeci and Ruth Brown, “ISIS bride’s lawyer says he has proof she’s still US citizen,” New York Post, February 20, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/02/20/isis-brides-nj-birth-certificate-doesnt-prove-us-citizenship-experts/; Kim Hjelmgaard, “ISIS bride Hoda Muthana's family files lawsuit against Trump,” USA Today, February 22, 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/02/22/hoda-muthana-isis-brides-family-file-lawsuit-against-trump-pompeo/2948575002/. Muthana and her siblings were all born in the United States, while their parents have both become naturalized citizens. Muthana graduated from Alabama’s Hoover High School in May 2013. Her father presented her with her first cellphone as a graduation gift, but he implemented tight restrictions. Women in the family were forbidden from using social media or messaging applications to communicate with non-family members. Muthana’s parents were concerned she was communicating with boys, but when her father regularly searched her phone, he instead discovered Quranic readings and other Islamic religious applications. Muthana told Buzzfeed News that Islamic scholars on the Internet swayed her more than her local Muslim community.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

In the fall of 2013, Muthana secretly created a Twitter account, through which she met ISIS supporters such as Aqsa Mahmood, a Scottish teen who fled to ISIS-held territory in November 2013. The same month Mahmood left, Muthana began planning her own trip.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

In November 2014, Muthana told her parents she was going to Atlanta for the day on a school trip. Her father was in Washington, D.C., at the time. Muthana then told her family she missed her bus home and had to spend the night. The next day, she called her sister from Turkey to say she was joining ISIS. When Muthana spoke with her father the next day, she had already crossed into Syria.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

Muthana funded her trip using her college tuition money. She signed up for classes at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and then immediately withdrew. She used the refunded tuition to buy her plane ticket to Turkey.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ. In December 2014, Muthana told her father she wanted to come home and asked for $2,500 to get to the Turkish border. He sent the money but she did not return. Muthana later told BuzzFeed News that she never intended to return.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

In early December 2014, Muthana posted a group photo on Twitter of what appears to be four women holding foreign passports and announcing their intention to burn the documents. In March, Muthana called for violence in the United States over Memorial Day.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

In late December 2014, Muthana told her father she had married an ISIS fighter. She told BuzzFeed Media that she did not need the traditional permission of her father because he sided against ISIS. After her husband was killed in a Jordanian airstrike in March 2015, Muthana’s father again tried to convince her to come home. Muthana again refused and said she was willing to die for her beliefs. In a deleted Ask.fm post, Muthana said she looked forward to seeing her mother again in Jannah (heaven), but “Allah and His Messenger come first.”Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

Muthana family spokesman Hassan Shibly, who is also chief executive director of the Council on American Islamic Relations Florida, told reporters in April 2015 that Muthana had been “abused” and “brainwashed” by ISIS. According to Shibly, Muthana withdrew from the Muslim community a year before she left “because she knew that the community was not sympathetic to those extremists groups.”“Alabama woman joins Islamic State in Syria: media,” Reuters, April 21, 2015, http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/04/21/us-usa-security-alabama-idUSKBN0NC0OR20150421. Muthana’s father also believes his daughter has been brainwashed. Muthana responded that all parents of ISIS foreign fighters believe that of their children.Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ.

Soon after the death of her first husband, Muthana married a Tunisian foreign fighter with whom she had a son, Adam. After that husband was killed, she married a Syrian ISIS fighter in 2018. Following the collapse of ISIS’s caliphate, Muthana fled with her son. They were captured by Kurdish forces in January 2019 and placed in the al-Hawl refugee camp in Syria alongside approximately 1,500 other ISIS wives and children.Martin Chulov and Bethan McKernan, “Hoda Muthana ‘deeply regrets’ joining Isis and wants to return home,” Guardian (London), February 17, 2019, ="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/17/us-woman-hoda-muthana-deeply-regrets-joining-isis-and-wants-return-home">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/17/us-woman-hoda-muthana-deeply-regrets-joining-isis-and-wants-return-home.

Muthana has declared her desire to return to the United States, but she faces legal obstacles. In a February 19, 2019, interview with ABC News, Muthana said that she regretted her actions and wanted to return to the United States with her 18-month-old son.Enjoli Francis and James Longman, “Former ISIS bride who left US for Syria says she 'interpreted everything very wrong,’” ABC News, February 19, 2019, https://abcnews.go.com/International/isis-bride-left-us-syria-interpreted-wrong/story?id=61175508. Muthana publicly burned her passport and renounced her citizenship in 2014. On January 15, 2016, the State Department of President Barack Obama sent a letter to Muthana’s address in Alabama declaring her passport had been issued in error and was invalid. The State Department charged that Muthana’s father was assigned to Yemen’s permanent mission to the United Nations at the time of her birth, and she therefore was ineligible for U.S. citizenship. According to the letter, there was “no evidence” Muthana was a U.S. citizen.Dara Lind, “The fight over whether ISIS recruit Hoda Muthana is a US citizen, explained,” Vox, February 22, 2019, https://www.vox.com/world/2019/2/22/18236309/hoda-muthana-isis-citizen-trump-pompeo. On February 20, 2019, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated that Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and would not be admitted to the United States.“Statement on Hoda Muthana,” U.S. Department of State, February 20, 2019, https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2019/02/289558.htm. U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted that he had instructed Pompeo “not to allow Hoda Muthana back into the Country!”Donald J. Trump, Twitter post, February 20, 2019, 4:05 p.m., https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1098327855145062411.

Pompeo’s statement did not specify what led the administration to conclude that Muthana did not hold U.S. citizenship or the right to citizenship, but he later clarified that Muthana does not qualify for birthright citizenship because of her father’s diplomatic status. Though Muthana was born in the United States, children of foreign diplomats born in the country are not eligible for automatic citizenship. Muthana’s family argues that her father’s diplomatic service officially ended a month before she was born. According to the family’s attorney, Muthana received a U.S. passport as a child after her father had provided documentation from the United Nations that he had been discharged before her birth. Immigration experts argue that Muthana’s U.S. passport is proof of her citizenship and the Trump administration therefore cannot declare her a non-citizen.Rukmini Callimachi and Alan Yuhas, “Alabama Woman Who Joined ISIS Can’t Return Home, U.S. Says,” New York Times, February 20, 2019, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/20/world/middleeast/isis-bride-hoda-muthana.html; Natalie Musumeci and Ruth Brown, “ISIS bride’s lawyer says he has proof she’s still US citizen,” New York Post, February 20, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/02/20/isis-brides-nj-birth-certificate-doesnt-prove-us-citizenship-experts/; Ellie Hall, “Gone Girl: An Interview With An American In ISIS,” BuzzFeed News, April 17, 2015, http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/gone-girl-an-interview-with-an-american-in-isis#.heGXm80KZ; Isaac Stanley-Becker, “‘Rule by tyranny’: American-born woman who joined ISIS must be allowed to return, lawsuit says,” Washington Post, February 22, 2019, https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/02/22/rule-by-tyranny-american-born-woman-who-joined-isis-must-be-allowed-return-lawsuit-says/?utm_term=.45c5c1c2bd78. The Muthana family filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on February 21, 2019, to allow their daughter to return to the United States.Kim Hjelmgaard, “ISIS bride Hoda Muthana's family files lawsuit against Trump,” USA Today, February 22, 2019, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/02/22/hoda-muthana-isis-brides-family-file-lawsuit-against-trump-pompeo/2948575002/.

CAIR Florida’s Shibly, who has continued to advise the Muthana family, claimed also that Muthana sought to return to the United States to face charges and take responsibility for her actions. According to Shibly, Muthana recognizes that she had “been completely brainwashed” by ISIS.Natalie Musumeci, “Hoda Muthana’s lawyer: Few people ‘resent ISIS’ as much as she,” New York Post, February 21, 2019, https://nypost.com/2019/02/21/hoda-muthanas-lawyer-few-people-resent-isis-as-much-as-her/.

On November 14, 2019, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton ruled that Muthana’s father was still employed as a Yemeni diplomat at the time of her birth and Muthana therefore did not have U.S. citizenship. The court recognized that Ahmed Ali Muthana had been fired from his position representing Yemen at the United Nations in either June or September 1994, while Hoda Muthana was born that October.Ellie Hall, “A Judge Has Ruled That A Woman Who Left The US For ISIS Is Not An American Citizen,” BuzzFeed News, November 14, 2019, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/hoda-muthana-isis-not-american-citizen. According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, the sending state must notify the receiving state of a diplomat’s termination and the receiving state must acknowledge receipt before a diplomatic agent’s function is formally terminated.“Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” United Nations, 2003, http://legal.un.org/ilc/texts/instruments/english/conventions/9_1_1961.pdf. According to documents submitted to the court, the United Nations did not receive notification of Muthana’s termination until February 6, 1995, almost fourth months after Hoda Muthana’s birth.Ellie Hall, “A Judge Has Ruled That A Woman Who Left The US For ISIS Is Not An American Citizen,” BuzzFeed News, November 14, 2019, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/hoda-muthana-isis-not-american-citizen. The 2016 State Department letter also affirmed that while Muthana’s father had tendered his resignation to Yemen’s U.N. mission on September 1, 1994, before her birth, the U.S. Permanent Mission to the United Nations was not notified of his termination until February 1995. According to the State Department, Ahmed Ali Muthana maintained his diplomatic status at the time of his daughter’s birth, thus making her ineligible for birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.Dara Lind, “The fight over whether ISIS recruit Hoda Muthana is a US citizen, explained,” Vox, February 22, 2019, https://www.vox.com/world/2019/2/22/18236309/hoda-muthana-isis-citizen-trump-pompeo.

Walton further ruled that any financial support given to Muthana or her 2-year-old child by her parents would constitute material support to terrorism. Hoda Muthana’s legal counsel expected to appeal the decision.Ellie Hall, “A Judge Has Ruled That A Woman Who Left The US For ISIS Is Not An American Citizen,” BuzzFeed News, November 14, 2019, https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/ellievhall/hoda-muthana-isis-not-american-citizen.

On January 19, 2021, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the district court’s decision on Muthana’s citizenship, ruling that “Hoda Muthana is not now and never was a citizen of the United States,” and “because Hoda is not a citizen, neither is her son, who was born abroad to two alien parents.”Circuit Judge Neomi Rao, “Ahmed Ali Muthana, Individually, and as Next Friend of Hoda Muthana and Minor John Doe, Appellant v. Michael R. Pompeo,” United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, January 19, 2021, https://www.cadc.uscourts.gov/internet/opinions.nsf/97F4C9BA474983DE8525866200567816/$file/19-5362-1880558.pdf. Muthana’s attorneys continued the appeal process. On January 11, 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court refused a request to hear Muthana’s case.“Supreme Court denies appeal of regretful Islamic State bride,” Associated Press, January 11, 2022, https://apnews.com/article/us-supreme-court-alabama-united-states-middle-east-birmingham-9618965ac9e09b3221ccf48d0e0cce5e.

On March 31, 2021, Muthana’s sister, Arwa Muthana, and Arwa’s husband, James Bradley, were arrested in New Jersey for attempting to and conspiring to provide material support to ISIS. Arwa and Bradley were allegedly planning to travel to Yemen by cargo ship with the aim of joining ISIS.“Sister of Alabama ISIS Bride Hoda Muthana Arrested with Husband While Allegedly Trying to Join Terrorists,” AL.com, April 2, 2021, https://www.al.com/news/2021/04/sister-of-alabama-isis-bride-hoda-muthana-arrested-with-husband-while-allegedly-trying-to-join-terrorists.html; “Man and Woman Charged with Attempting and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, April 1, 2021, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-and-woman-charged-attempting-and-conspiring-provide-material-support-isis. They both pleaded guilty in September 2022 to attempting to provide material support. They both pleaded guilty in September 2022 to attempting to provide material support.“New York City Man and Alabama Woman Plead Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 12, 2022, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-city-man-and-alabama-woman-plead-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis.

In an early January 2023 interview from Syria’s Roj detention camp with The News Movement, Hoda Muthana claimed she still wanted to return to the United States and would serve prison time if necessary. Wearing pants, a sweatshirt, and a knit hat, Muthana said she never agreed with ISIS’s ideology and regretted all her actions except for her young son. She claimed she was a victim of ISIS trafficking and wanted to go home to start a new chapter with her family. Shibly pointed to the interview as evidence Muthana was “brainwashed and taken advantage of,” arguing she could be allowed to return, repay her debt to society, and help others who were in her position.“Alabama woman who joined IS hopes to return from Syria camp,” Associated Press, January 8, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/islamic-state-group-politics-syria-crime-prisons-dfb3cde1330e15b69a4c18552c837664; “She joined ISIS. Now she is trapped in Syria.,” YouTube video, 15:32, posted by “The News Movement,” January 8, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAQ4tDTh46A.

Ali Saleh is a U.S. citizen and alleged attempted foreign fighter for ISIS. Saleh allegedly failed on multiple occasions to secure flights to join ISIS strongholds abroad, in both Syria and Egypt. In August 2015, he allegedly abandoned his efforts to join ISIS and attempted to fly to Yemen to join a local militia there.“United States of America Against Ali Saleh,” United States Department of Justice, September 16, 2015,http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/772336/download.

According to federal prosecutors, in 2013, Saleh became interested in the Syrian civil war. He later pledged allegiance to ISIS and attempted to travel to ISIS-controlled territory in the Middle East multiple times. On August 28, 2014, he stated his desire to travel to Syria online and purchased airline tickets for a flight from New York to Turkey, with the intention of crossing into Syria. However, Saleh’s parents confiscated his passport, and he was unable to travel.“New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, July 24, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-pleads-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis-0.

In October 2014, Saleh communicated with an ISIS supporter in Mali online and wired $500 to help facilitate that individual’s travel to Syria. Saleh also used the Internet to communicate with other ISIS supporters in the United Kingdom and Australia.“New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, July 24, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-pleads-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis-0.

In July 2015, Saleh purchased fireworks, which contained explosive powder, in Indiana and transported them to New York hidden in a concealed compartment of his car. He abandoned the car when it broke down during the journey to New York City. Around the same time, he shared an image online that described how to build an improvised explosive device.“New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, July 24, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-pleads-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis-0.

Saleh made subsequent unsuccessful attempts to travel abroad. On July 24, 2015, he purchased airline tickets to fly from New York to Egypt. He was denied boarding at John F. Kennedy International Airport. He then traveled to airports in Newark, Philadelphia, and Indianapolis, but encountered issues at all three locations. He then planned to take a train from Cleveland, Ohio to Canada, where he intended to fly to the Middle East.“New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, July 24, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-pleads-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis-0. However, at the train station in Cleveland, he was approached by FBI agents. During the subsequent interview, Saleh admitted that he had been in contact with ISIS facilitators and that he intended to fly to Yemen to join a militia. After the interview and upon learning that the Canadian authorities would not allow him to enter the country, he returned to New York.“United States of America Against Ali Saleh,” United States Department of Justice, September 16, 2015,http://www.justice.gov/opa/file/772336/download, 12-13.

In September 2015, after more than a year of Saleh’s alleged attempts to join foreign terrorist organizations abroad, the United States filed a criminal complaint against Saleh, charging him with attempting to provide material support and resources, “including personnel (himself)” to a foreign terrorist group, namely, ISIS.“New York Man Arrested for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 17, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-arrested-attempting-provide-material-support-isil. On July 24, 2018, Saleh pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. At sentencing, he faces up to 35 years in prison.“New York Man Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Provide Material Support To ISIS,” U.S. Department of Justice – Office of Public Affairs, July 24, 2018, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/new-york-man-pleads-guilty-attempting-provide-material-support-isis-0.

Saleh slashed a federal correctional officer on July 13, 2018, while imprisoned at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, when the officer reached into the cell to remove trash, Saleh slashed the officer’s right forearm with a makeshift knife and said, “I hope you die.” On June 3, 2019, Saleh pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal correctional officer and possessing contraband in a federal jail. At sentencing, he faces 25 years in prison for these two charges, in addition to the 35 years he faces on the earlier ISIS charges.“Queens Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Federal Correctional Officer and Possessing Contraband at a Federal Jail in Brooklyn,” U.S. Attorney’s Office – Eastern District of New York, June 3, 2019, https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/queens-man-pleads-guilty-assaulting-federal-correctional-officer-and-possessing.