New York Resident Charged With Providing Material Support to ISIS, Extradited to United States

An indictment was unsealed today charging Mirsad Kandic, 36, a legal permanent resident of the United States who left the United States in 2013, with one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, resulting in death, and five counts of providing and attempting to provide material support and resources to ISIS, including personnel, equipment and false documentation and identification, including one count resulting in death.  The defendant was extradited to the United States from Bosnia and Herzegovina yesterday and is scheduled to be arraigned at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, New York.

Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Dana J. Boente, Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde for the Eastern District of New York, Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney, Jr., of the FBI’s New York Field Office and Commissioner James P. O’Neill of the NYPD announced the extradition and charges.

“As part of his support for ISIS, the defendant traveled overseas and, while abroad, recruited and facilitated the travel of foreign fighters to join the terrorist organization,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Boente.  “The National Security Division will continue to use all its tools to disrupt the flow of foreign fighters and bring to justice those who provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”

“As alleged, defendant Kandic abandoned the United States, his adopted country, and joined ISIS, a violent terrorist organization opposed to the U.S. and its interests,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Rohde.  “From Turkey, he proceeded to recruit others to join ISIS, swelling their ranks and helping them commit terrorist acts such as suicide bombings.  Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute ISIS members, as well as other terrorists, to the fullest extent of the law.”  Ms. Rohde thanked the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the FBI Legal Attaché’s Office in Sarajevo, and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, for their assistance in the investigation and effecting the defendant’s extradition.

“As alleged, at the same time Kandic lived freely among us in New York, he expressed a desire to travel overseas to kill or maim U.S. military forces,” stated Assistant Director in Charge Sweeney.   “Kandic eventually put his desire in action when he traveled to Turkey to join ISIS, and from there he set about recruiting others, including Jake Bilardi, to support his cause.  Just prior to Bilardi successfully detonating a suicide bomb in Ramadi, Kandic told Bilardi he hoped Bilardi’s victims’ organs would ‘implode,’ and just after the attack, Kandic publicized it on Twitter.  Kandic is now back in New York, no longer living freely among us, but rather in federal custody to face justice. ”

As alleged in the indictment and other court filings, prior to November 2013, while living in the Bronx and Brooklyn, Kandic expressed the desire to travel overseas to engage in “jihad” against U.S. military forces to obtain martyrdom.  In December 2013, Kandic traveled to Istanbul, Turkey, and joined ISIS.  From there, Kandic recruited individuals from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and elsewhere, to travel to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq and serve as foreign fighters.  In online communications with an associate, Kandic stated he worked in ISIS’s Border Office in Turkey and was part of a team that conducted background checks of foreign fighters seeking to join ISIS in Syria.  Kandic told associates that he traveled to and from ISIS-controlled territory, including Raqqa, Syria, in connection with his work with ISIS.  In a recorded voice memo from Kandic to an associate, Kandic stated, “I have a lot of Mujahideen in Europe, a lot,” and “I sent out over 20,000 brothers . . . to Sham.”  “Mujahideen” refers to fighters.  “Sham” is frequently used by ISIS members to refer to the region of the Levant, including Syria.

One of the individuals Kandic assisted was Jake Bilardi, an 18-year-old Australian citizen who traveled from Melbourne, Australia, to Istanbul, Turkey, in August 2014.  A few days before Bilardi flew to Turkey, Kandic sent Twitter messages instructing Bilardi to stand in a particular section of an airport in Istanbul.  Kandic informed Bilardi that he would send someone to meet him there.  From Turkey, Bilardi traveled to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria and Iraq.  Kandic continued to communicate with Bilardi and encouraged him to follow through with his plan to commit a suicide attack in Iraq.  In early March 2015, Bilardi informed Kandic via Twitter that he “just went to look at my target today for my operation.”  Kandic replied, “May Allah reward you immensely.”  Kandic later added: “May Allah make there [sic] inner organs implode.”  On March 11, 2015, Bilardi committed a suicide bombing in Ramadi, Iraq.  Kandic publicized the attack via Twitter.   

Kandic also worked to further ISIS’s media and propaganda operations.  Kandic set up and used over 100 Twitter accounts to provide updates about ISIS attacks and territorial gains, which announcements were close in time to when the events occurred.

If convicted, Kandic faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.  The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Trial Attorneys Jennifer Levy and Jolie Zimmerman of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saritha Komatireddy, Tiana A. Demas and J. Matthew Haggans of the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting this case.

U.S.-led Coalition’s Support to Continue After Raqqa’s Liberation, Official Says

By Terri Moon Cronk DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2017 — The Syrian Democratic Forces’ Oct. 20 liberation of Raqqa, Syria, exposed the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’s lies and cowardice and the evil of its ideology, Army Maj. Gen. James B. Jarrard, commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, told Pentagon reporters today.

Briefing the press via teleconference from Baghdad, the commander said despite ISIS’s defeat in Raqqa, the terrorist organization still exists, and the U.S.-led coalition will not back off from supporting the Syrian Democratic Forces.

And, “together, the coalition will continue [its] support to the SDF as they liberate the remainder of areas along the Euphrates River to the border with Iraq,” Jarrard said.

The SDF began their push to liberate Raqqa June 6.

ISIS Overpowered

“This multireligious and multiethnic alliance of Kurds, Arabs, Assyrians, Yezidis, Armenians and Turkmen -- which also includes female fighters and commanders -- overpowered, entrenched the enemy and demonstrated courage and tenacity in the face of significant losses,” he said.

Precision coalition air support and ground artillery enabled the SDF's advance and minimized civilian casualties in the process, Jarrard emphasized.

“[ISIS] has no capital and no physical caliphate,” he said. “[ISIS] is running out of places to hide. [ISIS] terrorists are running away from our partners in the coalition. Their leaders are in hiding. Raqqa was freed by Syrians. Raqqa will be secured by Syrians. Raqqa will be governed by Syrians.”

SDF: ‘Phenomenal’

Jarrard congratulated the SDF on “a phenomenal record” since it began prosecuting the campaign against ISIS in Syria.

“They continue to amaze us as we watch them and the sacrifices that they continue to endure to assist the world in eliminating this area of Syria from the evils of [ISIS],” he added.

Clearing every building in Raqqa will take several months of tough work, the OIR commander said, adding that providing internally displaced persons with water, food and shelter will also take time. 

The Raqqa Internal Security Force is an indigenous partner force that provides local security to prevent ISIS’s reemergence, he said. It answers to the Raqqa Civil Council, and as it grows, the RISF eventually will assume control of Raqqa from the SDF.

“For the people of Raqqa, at the moment it is still unsafe for them to return home. Although the city is void of [ISIS] fighters, hundreds, and maybe even thousands, of [ISIS] improvised explosive devices, … bombs and booby traps remain. Sadly, civilian deaths have already been reported among some of those who have tried to return,” Jarrard said.

The clearance process will take time as teams assess, identify and remove explosive hazards. In the coming weeks, the SDF will be the holding force as it continues to clear explosive hazards from the city, preparing to turn over Raqqa’s security to the security force in the near future, he added.

“Civilians will be allowed back in the city once conditions are safe. The RCC is leading the way in providing advice to Raqqa is about when they may be able to return home

Officials Release Details of Latest Strikes Against ISIS Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA, Nov. 1, 2017 — U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 13 strikes consisting of 18 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today.

Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports.

Strikes in Syria

In Syria, coalition military forces conducted eight strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Abu Kamal, a strike destroyed an ISIS training center.

-- Near Dayr Az Zawr, seven strikes engaged four ISIS tactical units and destroyed three fighting positions and an ISIS vehicle and suppressed a fighting position.

Strikes in Iraq

In Iraq, coalition military forces conducted five strikes consisting of nine engagements against ISIS targets:

-- Near Qaim, four strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and damaged an ISIS supply route and destroyed a command-and-control node, a weapons cache, an ISIS headquarters and a vehicle.

-- Near Rawah, a strike destroyed four ISIS-held buildings.

Previous Strikes

Additionally, eight strikes consisting of 16 engagements were conducted in Iraq and Syria on Oct. 30.

-- In Syria, near Shaddadi, a strike engaged an ISIS tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position and an ISIS vehicle.

-- In Syria, near Dayr Az Zawr, six strikes engaged two ISIS tactical units and destroyed a vehicle-borne bomb and four ISIS lines of communication.

-- In Iraq, near Qaim, a strike destroyed 10 ISIS supply routes.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

These strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to destroy ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The destruction of ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria also further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct external operations throughout the region and the rest of the world, task force officials said.

The list above contains all strikes conducted by fighter, attack, bomber, rotary-wing or remotely piloted aircraft; rocket-propelled artillery; and some ground-based tactical artillery when fired on planned targets, officials noted.

Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike, they added. A strike, as defined by the coalition, refers to one or more kinetic engagements that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single or cumulative effect.

For example, task force officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIS vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against a group of ISIS-held buildings and weapon systems in a compound, having the cumulative effect of making that facility harder or impossible to use. Strike assessments are based on initial reports and may be refined, officials said.

The task force does not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.