The Risk Professional: US terrorist arrests flip policy on its head

For decades, US politicians, beholden to Irish political contributions, allowed the open support of Irish terrorists and in some cases went so far as to endorse it. President Clinton cut off most of the money supply and had an immediate and devastating effect on the ability of the IRA, in particular, to continue its operations. Domestically, the USA viewed terrorism in a very narrow focus, basically a heightened state of aggression whilst committing, e.g., a robbery. In late 2001, events created a focus on "international terrorism" where the issue was foreigners who may attack the USA. But arrests yesterday signal that the USA has, at last, begun to recognise that it has an obligation to detect and deter terrorism which may be planned in the US for action overseas.

Ironically, those arrested include some of Irish descent.

Yesterday, in North Carolina, the USA's Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested seven men who have been indicted on a range of terrorism related charges.

Of the seven, six are US citizens, and of those six, five were born in the USA.

The seven are:

• Daniel Patrick Boyd, 39, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina
• Hysen Sherifi, 24, a native of Kosovo and a U.S. legal permanent resident located in North Carolina
• Anes Subasic, 33, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina
• Zakariya Boyd, 20, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina
• Dylan Boyd, 22, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina
• Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, 22, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina
• Ziyad Yaghi, 21, a U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina

All the defendants are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, as well as conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad. In addition, Daniel Boyd, Hysen Sherifi and Zakariya Boyd are each charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

Daniel Boyd and Dylan Boyd are also each charged with selling a firearm to a convicted felon. Finally, Daniel Boyd is also charged with receiving a firearm through interstate commerce and two counts of making false statements in a terrorism investigation.

The FBI's case notes show a pattern of behaviour that is remarkable.

According to the indictment, during the period from 1989 through 1992, Daniel Boyd traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan where he received military-style training in terrorist training camps for the purpose of engaging in violent jihad. Following this training, he allegedly fought in Afghanistan.

From roughly November 2006 through at least July 2009, the indictment alleges that Daniel Boyd and the other defendants conspired to provide material support and resources to terrorists, including currency, training, transportation, and personnel. The defendants also conspired to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad during this period. The object of the conspiracy, according to the indictment, was to advance violent jihad, including supporting and participating in terrorist activities abroad and committing acts of murder, kidnapping, or maiming persons abroad.

Although no defence details are available, and although the FBI has not indicated such, the tone suggests that Daniel Boyd was more akin to a mercenary and even consultant than a genuine jihadist.

The indictment alleges that, as part of the conspiracy, the defendants prepared themselves to engage in violent jihad and were willing to die as martyrs. They also allegedly offered training in weapons and financing, and helped arrange overseas travel and contacts so others could wage violent jihad overseas.

In June 2007, says the FBI, Daniel Boyd and several other defendants departed from the United States for Israel in an effort to engage in violent jihad, but returned to the United States after failing in their efforts. According to the indictment, after his return to the United States, Daniel Boyd made false statements twice to federal officials about who he had planned to meet on his trip to Israel.

In February 2008, Daniel Boyd allegedly solicited money to fund the travel of additional individuals overseas to engage in violent jihad and in March 2008, discussed with Anes Subasic preparations to send two individuals abroad for this purpose. He allegedly accepted USD500 in cash from defendant Hysen Sherifi to be used to help fund jihad overseas and later showed Sherifi how to operate an AK-47 assault weapon.

In July 2008, Sharifi allegedly departed from the United States for Kosovo to engage in violent jihad. According to the indictment, Sharifi later returned to North Carolina in April 2009, for the purpose of soliciting funds and personnel to support the mujihadeen. No information is available to show what he was doing for that period of nine months. However, during that period US intelligence agencies were trying to undermine the growing influence of an increasing number of Mujahideen arriving and linking up with fundamentalists who were moving into the country in disturbing numbers. Albanian intelligence agencies were concerned that Albania was being used as a marshalling point for radicals. Sharifi's departure for Kosovo coincided with the arrest there of five members of violent groups including Islamic Jihad. We have information about three or four groups, there are Egyptians, Saudi Arabians, Algerians, Tunisians, Sudanese," Fatos Klosi, director of the Albanian intelligence service was quoted as saying.

The indictment also alleges that Daniel Boyd obtained a variety of weapons in furtherance of the conspiracy to murder persons overseas and provide material support to terrorists. These included a Bushmaster M4A3 rifle that Boyd allegedly received illegally via interstate commerce in 2006, as well as an ETA M16 V System C-MAG that he purchased in 2006. In 2007, he allegedly purchased a Ruger mini 14 long gun.

During 2008, the indictment alleges that Boyd purchased a Mossburg 100 ATR .270 rifle, a Llama Camanche III .357 revolver, a Century Arms AK Sporter 7.62 X 39 rifle and a Ruger mini 30 7.62 X 39 rifle. During 2009, Boyd allegedly purchased a Ishmash SAGA .308 rifle, a Century Arms Polish Tantal 5.45 X 39 rifle, a Century Arms C91 rifle .308, a Century Arms M70B1 7.62 X 34 rifle, a Ruger mini 14 5.56 rifle, and a Smith & Wesson MP15 .223 rifle.

But perhaps more disturbing than all of the above is the fact that the Boyds allegedly set up a training camp in North Carolina where they and several of the defendants practiced military tactics and the use of weapons in June and July 2009.

The charges are not charges of terrorism per se, but rather of conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad. But the charges of providing material support do relate to terrorism.