Islamic State funded Maryland man to attack US, says FBI

The FBI has arrested a Maryland man who they say received about $9,000 (£6,000) from the so-called Islamic State group (IS) to carry out an attack in the US.

Mohamed Elshinawy, 30, is being held on a number of chrges including trying to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organisation.

Mr Elshinawy pledged allegiance to IS online in February, the FBI said.

He told agents that he never intended to carry out an attack and just wanted IS agents to send him money.
The FBI said Mr Elshinawy used disposable mobile phones and multiple email and social media accounts to communicate with IS contacts.

He received the money through a PayPal account and a Western Union wire transfer, the FBI said.
Those overseas financial transfers attracted the attention of authorities in June.

Planning terror attack

"Elshinawy stated that he was instructed to use the monies he received from the unidentified ISIL operative for 'operational purposes,' which Elshinawy understood to mean causing destruction or conducting a terrorist attack in the United States," according to an FBI affidavit.

In the past year, more 70 people in the US have been charged with working with IS militants.

Authorities are on heightened alert this month after a California couple, who had pledged allegiance to IS, carried out the deadliest terrorist attack since the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik and shot and killed 14 people on 2 December during a holiday party in San Bernardino.

The Opposition united against the government over the “exclusion” of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy from a programme with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the Congress alleging a “serious breach of political morality” by the Prime Minister’s Office.
The government, for its part, said it was a private function where it had no role. It has been organised in Kollam Tuesday by Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) to honour former CM R Sankar. Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the decision to withdraw the invite to Chandy was taken by SNDP, a social organisation, due to an “internal row”.

In Thiruvananthapuram, Chandy said the decision to exclude him was a “painful experience” and an “insult” to people of the state. “PM is coming to the state for the first time after assuming office. R Sankar is a former chief minister and late Congress leader. As per protocol and basic courtesies Kerala chief minister should have been attending the function,” Chandy posted on Facebook. “I have always tried to keep myself away from controversies, but they have always followed me in an unexpected manner…”
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