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Virginia: Muslim pleads guilty to helping friend who wanted to join the Islamic State

Oct 24, 2016 6:11 pm By Robert Spencer

“Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick said in court that Elhassan, of Woodbridge, and Farrokh, originally from Woodbridge but living in Richmond when he was arrested, engaged in conversations that were ‘violent in nature,’ discussing ‘chopping off heads’ and ‘fighting against the U.S. military.’

“Durkin said there are personal details that put Elhassan’s actions in context. ‘Preceding all this, he was under tremendous emotional and family problems,’ Durkin said. ‘His mother had died at a young age, which was traumatic for him and his family.'”

Many people’s mothers die at a young age. Few decide as a result to chop off heads and fight against the U.S. military.

A flag belonging to the Islamic State fighters is seen on a motorbike after forces loyal to Assad recaptured the historic city of Palmyra

“Va. man pleads guilty to helping friend who wanted to join the Islamic State,” by Rachel Weiner, Washington Post, October 24, 2016:

On Jan. 15, Mahmoud Elhassan headed out in his taxi from Northern Virginia to pick up a friend who was preparing to travel overseas. They pulled over at a rest stop, where the friend, Joseph Farrokh, shaved off his beard. Then, with hours left before Farrokh’s flight, they went to a mall to pass the time.

Finally, Elhassan called another cab to take Farrokh to the Richmond airport. Elhassan began driving back north.

The shave and the second taxi were intended to help the pair avoid detection as Farrokh set out on his way to Syria to join the Islamic State. It was no use; the FBI had been watching the whole time, and an undercover informant was in on the plan. Farrokh was arrested as he walked toward his gate, Elhassan in the food court of Potomac Mills mall.

Elhassan, 26, pleaded guilty Monday morning to attempting to help a terrorist group and giving false statements to the FBI. He admitted that he introduced Farrokh to the informant at Farrokh’s wedding last fall and spoke numerous times about ways to get to Syria. He also lied to investigators, claiming that his friend had flown out of Dulles International Airport to attend a funeral in California.

He may yet go to trial on a charge of conspiracy to provide material support. He says that he himself never tried to go abroad.

“There’s an issue of whether this is more than an attempt” to help the Islamic State, said Thomas Durkin, Elhassan’s attorney.

A trial would be “meaningless,” Durkin said, because it probably would have little effect on Elhassan’s sentence. He said he hopes prosecutors will agree to drop the conspiracy charge.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick said in court that Elhassan, of Woodbridge, and Farrokh, originally from Woodbridge but living in Richmond when he was arrested, engaged in conversations that were “violent in nature,” discussing “chopping off heads” and “fighting against the U.S. military.”

Durkin said there are personal details that put Elhassan’s actions in context.

“Preceding all this, he was under tremendous emotional and family problems,” Durkin said. “His mother had died at a young age, which was traumatic for him and his family.”…

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Filed Under: American jihadis, Featured, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), Jihad in the U.S. Tagged With: Joseph Farrokh, Mahmoud Elhassan


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Comments

  1. Angemon says

    Oct 24, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Va. man pleads guilty to helping friend who wanted to join the Islamic State

    One is a traitor, the other is his accomplice.

    • Lucia Bartoli says

      Oct 25, 2016 at 4:15 pm

      Ergo both guilty. That’s how law is in USA

  2. billybob says

    Oct 24, 2016 at 9:23 pm

    Just dropped by to give you links to two YouTube videos that inspired me this evening.

    We tend to think that the home country of Angela Merkel is a lost cause. This female member of parliament stands bravely in the face of hecklers to deliver a very convincing reason to ban Burqas in Germany.

    Burka debate regional German parliament
    Published on Oct 19, 2016
    A debate on the Burka in Baden-Wuertemberg land – German regional Parliament.

    https://youtu.be/xyAb30PfhKQ

    Much more profound is a frightening view of the state of Europe by the brilliant Douglas Murray speaking in America. The video and audio is of poor quality but Douglas Murray’s talk is of the highest quality.

    The Death of Europe By Accepting Islamic Fascism
    Published on Sep 27, 2016

    https://youtu.be/EuV_wG4qSg8

    • Angemon says

      Oct 25, 2016 at 7:07 am

      I don’t think Germany is a lost cause. The suicidal “open borders, no questions asked” policies is a symptom of a deeper trauma, but things are not set in stone yet. Sweden, on the other hand…

      • Jay Boo says

        Oct 25, 2016 at 9:14 am

        One day someone in Sweden said, “All this peaceful freedom and good will toward fellow neighbors is driving me crazy. It is so boring. Let’s get so excitement and invite intolerant Muslims to Sweden.

    • Lucia Bartoli says

      Oct 25, 2016 at 4:17 pm

      May be too little too late unless Merkel takes a stand for her own nation. What tourists would EVER want to visit or support countries that welcome their own end times

  3. mortimer says

    Oct 25, 2016 at 1:08 am

    Defendant: Hey, Judge, I had some family problems so I decided I wanted to murder people and commit crimes against humanity and destroy civilization.

    Judge: Oh, all right then! I’m glad you told me that. You’re free to go.

  4. Crusades Were Right! says

    Oct 25, 2016 at 6:42 am

    “DIE INFIDEL! ALLAHU AKBAR!…

    …I mean, my kitty-cat ran away from home when I was six, Your Honor.”

  5. David says

    Oct 25, 2016 at 9:01 am

    Because my SmartPhone offers me only a limited amount of “Data” each month, I could only watch a part of the video of the German woman at her Parliament.
    Hecklers aside, every thing she said was right on target!
    I firmly believe that all symbols of NAZI oppression (I mean islamic) should be BANNED AT ONCE.
    And if the visiting NAZI’S don’t like it (islamist fools) they should be assisted in leaving Europe and exported back to donkey FXCK land!
    ☺ Cheers!.

    • Lucia Bartoli says

      Oct 25, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      ???

  6. Jay Boo says

    Oct 25, 2016 at 9:08 am

    Islam (is) — X-Out — (isn’t) Peace.

  7. Buford says

    Oct 25, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    Death Penalty would be appropriate for anybody who does that I also believe anybody who is a
    believer of the Quran/ Sharia Law need to be deported & all 3,000 Mosques need to be destroyed & Banned

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