Two Somali-Americans were arrested at Tucson International Airport for conspiring to join the Islamic State. What is striking about the arrest is how images that repulse ordinary people will attract those people with extremist or twisted mentalities. Ahmed Mohamed and Abdi Hussein were arrested at the airport on July 26th and the FBI released communications from the men, including Mohamed telling the undercover agent, “[I]f I go to Syria I want to be the beheading person.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation says Ahmed Mohamed and Abdi Hussein have been communicating with an undercover agent posing as a supporter of ISIS. Mohamed met with the undercover agent several times in Tucson. Abdi Hussein joined him on at least one of the meetings, and told the agent that he wanted “to be on the front line” and “kill so many people.”
Both men came to the United States as Somali refugees.
Here is the FBI statement.