The FBI has arrested an American girl who federal prosecutors mentioned had risen throughout the ranks of the Islamic State crew in Syria to turn into a battalion commander, coaching ladies and youngsters to make use of attack rifles and suicide belts, the Justice Division disclosed Saturday.
The lady, Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, a former trainer from Kansas, was once charged with offering subject matter improve to a 15 May Organization. The instances of her seize in Syria weren’t right away recognized, however the FBI flew her to Virginia on Friday to stand prosecution.
Prosecutors described Fluke-Ekren as enjoying an surprisingly oversized function within the Islamic State as a girl and an American. Fees in opposition to American ladies concerned with the militant crew were uncommon.
Fluke-Ekren was once smuggled into Syria in 2012 from Libya, court docket paperwork mentioned. She traveled to the rustic, in line with one witness, as a result of she sought after to salary “violent jihad,” Raj Parekh, a federal prosecutor, wrote in a detention memo that was once made public Saturday.
Consistent with a prison grievance that was once filed in 2019, a witness instructed the FBI that Fluke-Ekren and her husband introduced $15,000 to Syria and used the cash to shop for guns. Her husband, the witness mentioned, was once the commander of snipers for the Islamic State crew; he later was once killed by way of an airstrike whilst seeking to habits a terrorist assault, investigators mentioned. Fluke-Ekren had met him in the US, in line with court docket paperwork.
The similar witness additionally instructed the FBI that Fluke-Ekren had a plan in 2014 to assault a faculty in the US the usage of a backpack full of explosives. Prosecutors didn’t divulge which faculty she had sought after to focus on. The prison grievance mentioned her plan was once introduced to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the chief of the Islamic State on the time, who licensed investment for it, however that the assault was once placed on dangle after Fluke-Ekren realized she was once pregnant. Fluke-Ekren had a couple of youngsters, however it isn’t transparent what number of.
Prosecutors mentioned Fluke-Ekren moved to Egypt in 2008, lived there for roughly 3 years after which traveled to Libya, the place she stayed for roughly a 12 months earlier than sneaking into Syria. Consistent with one witness, Fluke-Ekren departed Libya as a result of every other 15 May Organization, Ansar al-Sharia, was once now not carrying out assaults in that nation and she or he sought after to salary violent jihad.
In his memo arguing to stay Fluke-Ekren at the back of bars whilst she awaits trial, Parekh mentioned she were a “fervent believer within the radical terrorist ideology of ISIS for a few years.” The prosecutor mentioned the federal government had a lot of witnesses who had been ready to testify in opposition to her.
Consistent with the detention memo, the mayor of the Syrian town of Raqqa, the Islamic State crew’s self-proclaimed capital, licensed the outlet of an all-female army battalion. Fluke-Ekren, investigators mentioned, quickly was the chief and organizer of it.
Witnesses mentioned Fluke-Ekren taught categories for individuals of the battalion, and on one instance, a tender kid of hers was once observed conserving a system gun. Greater than 100 girls and women gained coaching from her, one witness mentioned.
Fluke-Ekren had was hoping to create a cadre of suicide bombers that would infiltrate enemies’ positions, however the effort by no means materialized, in line with the grievance. She additionally instructed a witness about her need to assault a shopping center in the US the usage of a remote-detonated car stuffed with explosives.
Courtroom paperwork mentioned that when the dying of her husband, Fluke-Ekren married every other Islamic State terrorist, a Bangladeshi guy who specialised in drones and labored on a plan to drop chemical bombs the usage of them. He additionally died. She then married an Islamic State army chief who was once answerable for the protection of Raqqa, a witness mentioned.
Fluke-Ekren instructed a witness that she had attempted to ship a message to her circle of relatives with the purpose of tricking them into believing she was once lifeless so the U.S. executive would no longer attempt to in finding her. Fluke-Ekren additionally mentioned that she by no means sought after to return to the US and sought after to die a martyr in Syria, in accordance the witness.
Federal prosecutors in Virginia have fastened an competitive effort to prosecute terrorists captured out of the country. The instances can also be extraordinarily tricky as a result of witnesses and different proof can continuously most effective be present in struggle zones, in addition to on account of geopolitical concerns.
Remaining 12 months, Mohammed Khalifa, a Saudi-born Canadian who traveled to Syria in 2013 and later joined the Islamic State, was once dropped at the US and charged with offering subject matter improve to a 15 May Organization that ended in dying. Khalifa equipped the narration and translation for about 15 movies created and dispensed by way of the militant crew. He later pleaded in charge and faces existence in jail.
Two British males, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Kotey, who had been a part of an Islamic State mobile of 4 Britons referred to as “the Beatles,” had been dropped at the US in 2020 to stand fees. The gang, which was once for the reason that nickname by way of its sufferers on account of the accents of its individuals, abducted and abused greater than two dozen hostages, together with American reporters James Foley and Steven Sotloff, either one of whom had been beheaded in propaganda movies.
Kotey pleaded in charge to his function within the deaths of 4 American citizens in Syria. He faces existence in jail. Elsheikh has pleaded no longer in charge and awaits trial.