Authorities arrested a Virginia man Friday for attempting to aid Islamic State terrorists by identifying potential targets to attack in Washington, D.C.
Haris Qamar, 25, from Burke in Fairfax County Virginia, operated roughly 60 radical Twitter accounts expressing pro-ISIS sentiment and actively traversed the city, taking pictures of targets in the District for an ISIS propaganda video. Qamar had an initial hearing in Alexandria at 2 p.m. Friday, and was charged with attempting to provide material support to the ISIS, reports WJLA.
A confidential witness (CW) with the FBI met with Qamar several times, discussing the creation of an ISIS video advocating lone wolf terror attacks in D.C.. (RELATED: Security Officials Warn Of Shortcomings In DC’s Terror Response Plans)
“Qamar offered the CW ideas of where to take photographs for use in the video, including the Pentagon and numerous landmarks in Arlington, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., which could be targeted for terrorist attacks,” the Department of Justice wrote in a press release. “On June 3, a conversation was audio and video recorded when CW picked up Qamar in a vehicle and they drove to area landmarks on the list Qamar had developed.”
Qamar told the CW on numerous occasions that he supported the barbaric violence ISIS perpetrates, describing his approval of the, “bodies, blood and beheadings.”
“Qamar allegedly said, ‘bye bye DC, stupid ass kufar, kill’em all,'” the press release states. “Qamar and CW met again on June 10 and drove to a location in Arlington to take additional photos for the purported ISIL video.”
He allegedly described the various ways he would carry out an execution. Qamar also tweeted September 16, advocating the slaughter of servicemen after ISIS released a kill list of U.S. military members. (RELATED: Former US Soldier Plotted To Aid ISIS, Carry Out ‘Fort Hood’ Style Attack)
“Qamar tweeted his prayer that Allah ‘give strength to the mujahideen to slaughter every single US military officer,'” reads the DOJ statement. “Additionally, the affidavit alleges that on Sept. 25, 2015, Qamar told the CW that he tried to join ISIL in 2014, but that his parents prevented him from going overseas by controlling his passport. Qamar allegedly said that his parents threatened to notify law enforcement authorities and said that he fought with his father and called his father a traitor to Islam.”
Qamar faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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