Adam Dandach

California resident Adam Dandach is a U.S. citizen and attempted foreign fighter for ISIS. On July 3, 2014, he was arrested and charged with making false statements on an application for a replacement passport, which authorities believe he intended to use to fly to Istanbul, Turkey, and eventually onto Syria. In August 2015, Dandach signed a plea agreement admitting to attempting to provide material support to ISIS and making a false statement in a passport application.Brian Melley, “California man guilty of trying to support Islamic State,” Associated Press, August 10, 2015, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/44ce687f5fff4d7188c460d7dc9df278/california-man-guilty-trying-support-islamic-state. He was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison in July 2016.Sean Emery, “O.C. man sentenced to 15 years after he admitted to trying to join ISIS,” Orange County Register, July 25, 2016, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/islamic-723550-dandach-state.html. The judge recommended mental health treatment at sentencing.“United States of America v. Adam Dandach a.k.a. ‘Fadi Fadi Dandach’ – Sentencing Hearing,” United States District Court, Central District of California Southern Division, August 18, 2016, https://extremism.gwu.edu/sites/g/files/zaxdzs2191/f/Dandach%20Sentencing%20Hearing.pdf, 33. Dandach is currently imprisoned at Rochester Federal Medical Center in Minnesota, with an expected release date of September 2, 2027.“Adam Dandach,” Inmate Locator – Federal Bureau of Prisons, accessed March 3, 2021, https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/.

Authorities believe that Dandach attempted to obstruct the investigation into his actions by asking an unnamed website administrator to delete his post history on that website.“Orange, County, California, Man Charged in New Indictment with Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIL,” The United States Department of Justice, March 4, 2015, http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/orange-county-california-man-charged-new-indictment-attempting-provide-material-support-isil. Dandach also operated a Twitter account under the twitter handle @Al_Fadi1414. His profile photo depicts the ISIS flag and his bio reads, “The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: If anyone asks Allah for martyrdom sincerely, Allah make him reach the ranks of martyrs though he may die on his bed.”Adam Dandach Twitter, accessed February 16, 2017, https://twitter.com/al_fadi1414.

In or around March 2015, while in prison, Dandach sent letters and poems to the Orange County Register.Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html. In one poem, he wrote, “Rot in a grave of fire, right where you belong. Je suie [sic] Al-Qaeda, leaving another scar.”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Also Known As

Extremist entity
ISIS
Read Threat Report
Type(s) of Organization:
Insurgent, territory-controlling, religious, terrorist, violent
Ideologies and Affiliations:
Islamist, jihadist, pan-Islamist, Salafist, takfiri
Position(s):
Attempted foreign fighter

ISIS is a violent jihadist group based in Iraq and Syria. The group has declared wilayas (provinces) in Egypt, Libya, Algeria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the North Caucasus. ISIS has also waged attacks in Turkey, Lebanon, France, Belgium, Iraq, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Tunisia, and Kuwait.

  • Rhetoric

Mar 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“With tearful sincerity, Adam Dandach, AKA Al-Fadi (The Sacrificer)”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar. 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“Satirical blasphemy aimed at the Prophet of truth
Hateful demonization, Portraying a distorted presentation
Spark the flame & you have ignited the inferno”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar. 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“Rot in a grave of fire, right where you belong. 
Je suie Al-Qaeda, leaving another scar.”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar. 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“I live my life alone; nobody sees my tears. 
I’m a stranger here; my pleas fall on deaf ears.”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar. 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“Oh, you hateful fiends! 
Know that revenge will come
You’re standing in front of the One (God)
A punishment in a fiery sea
Of carnage and blazing agony”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar., 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“Captivity in the hands of our enemy
The crusaders of Iblis [Satan]
The worst adversaries
The masters of treachery
The wolves of the century!”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

Mar., 2015

Excerpt of a poem written while he was incarcerated:

“Je suie Al-Qaeda.”Theresa Walker, “'Naive' or a wannabe terrorist? Read some of the letters, poems of O.C. man accused of supporting ISIS,” Orange County Register, March 23, 2015, http://www.ocregister.com/articles/dandach-655150-poem-register.html.

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On October 7, 2023, Hamas invaded southern Israel where, in the space of eight hours, hundreds of armed terrorists perpetrated mass crimes of brutality, rape, and torture against men, women and children. In the biggest attack on Jewish life in a single day since the Holocaust, 1,200 were killed, and 251 were taken hostage into Gaza—where 101 remain. One year on, antisemitic incidents have increased by record numbers. 

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