What you need to know
- A 20-year-old American soldier, based in Georgia, allegedly conspired with someone he believed was on ISIS to attack U.S. landmarks, including the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. .
- Cole James Bridges allegedly began researching online propaganda to promote jihadists and their ideology in September 2019; a criminal complaint says he later gave tactical military advice and other advice
- Bridges is charged with attempted material support for terror and attempted killing of American soldiers; each count has a maximum prison sentence of 20 years; his lawyer’s information was unclear
An American soldier faces charges he communicated with someone he believed was a member of ISIS to plan attacks on landmarks in New York City – including the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. and provide tactical military advice to terrorists, federal officials said Tuesday.
Cole James Bridges, 20, of Stow, Ohio, is charged with attempted material support for terror and attempted killing of American soldiers. He allegedly participated in these efforts from August 2020 to this month.
Bridges, a private first class of the Third Infantry Division of Fort Stewart, Georgia, allegedly spoke at an online forum about wanting to help ISIS attack the 9/11 Memorial and target northern soldiers. -Americans in the Middle East. His contact in the online forum was actually an undercover FBI agent.
The bridges were allegedly radicalized by online videos and offered to provide Army training materials and tactics to ISIS to “facilitate the efforts of ISIS fighters to repel U.S. Special Forces and kill American soldiers, ”the criminal complaint says.
Bridges allegedly began researching and consuming online propaganda promoting jihadists and their ideology in September 2019; he also allegedly expressed his support for ISIS and jihad on social media at the time, according to the complaint.
It wasn’t until October last year that Bridges allegedly began communicating with the undercover FBI agent he believed was affiliated with ISIS. During these communications, which were made using an encrypted messaging app, he allegedly expressed frustration with the U.S. military and its desire to help ISIS bring out U.S. soldiers. The criminal complaint alleges that he continued to advise “alleged ISIS fighters” who planned attacks, including those related to possible targets in New York City. He allegedly offered parts of a U.S. Army training manual and also guidance on military tactics.
On October 16, 2020, Bridges is accused of sending a warning to the alleged ISIS fighter about planning any operation. This message, according to the complaint, stated in part: “They have to be very careful and not discuss plans by phone or text. Unfortunately I can’t participate. But the only implication I can make is to advise me [stet] and training techniques. . . your brother can
feel free to contact me at any time. “
When later that month asked about the most effective way to carry out an attack, Bridges allegedly replied, “Hitting the enemy’s heart and establishing a clear statement and message to the leaders.”
Later in the exchange, Bridges offered to come to New York to meet with the ISIS fighter with whom he believed he had been in contact. At the time, the conversation was aimed at potential targets in New York City, officials say.
In mid-November, the undercover agent sent Bridges photographs of federal, local and foreign government buildings in and around New York City. That agent stated that “everything is so guarded that I don’t know if it’s even possible to do an operation in New York.”
Bridges allegedly warned the agent to “choose your goals wisely” and asked about other potential targets that were being considered. It was not immediately known which government buildings were the topic of follow-up to the conversation, but Bridges allegedly said “there was not enough firepower” for those. That was when the issue of the 9/11 Memorial was addressed, according to the criminal complaint.
In December, Bridges allegedly began providing the “ISIS” agent with instructions on how ISIS fighters could attack U.S. forces in the Middle East. Among other efforts, he is accused of diagramming specific military maneuvers and commenting on satellite imagery to help these fighters maximize the lethality of any attack on U.S. troops. The positioning and armament of ISIS was also discussed.
The bridges also advised the best way to fortify an ISIS camp against a U.S. attack, even by wiring certain buildings with explosives intended to kill U.S. troops, according to the complaint. This month, he went so far as to provide a video of him with armor on an ISIS flag and made a symbolic gesture of support for ISIS in this clip, according to the criminal complaint.
On Jan. 12, Bridges allegedly posted a second video in which he narrated a propaganda speech in support of a planned ISIS attack on U.S. troops using a voice manipulator at the request of the undercover agent, according to denounce federal officials.
Keyword searches like “American soldier firing” and “badass jihadi” found on his computer using an order date back to December 25, 2019, according to the complaint. He allegedly updated his Facebook profile and background to reflect his views last August. Images of the changes were included in the claim (see below).
Bridges faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the attempts at material support and attempted murder of members of the U.S. military. He is expected to appear in federal court in Georgia on Thursday, officials said.
Attempts to reach a possible Bridges attorney were unsuccessful as of Tuesday afternoon.
Manhattan lawyer Audrey Strauss accused Bridges in a statement of betraying the oath he took to defend the United States in an alleged attempt to provide tactical advice to ISIS to ambush and kill fellow servicemen.
“Our troops risk their lives for our country, but they should never face that danger at the hands of one of their own,” Strauss said. “Today, thanks to the efforts of JTTF agents and detectives, and our partners in the Department of Defense, Bridges is in custody and facing charges of federal terrorism for his alleged crimes.”
FBI Deputy Director William Sweeney Jr. also called Bridges for his alleged betrayal, saying he was “conspiring with someone he believed was an ISIS supporter to help ISIS attack and kill northern soldiers. -Americans in the Middle East. ”
“Fortunately, the person he communicated with was an FBI employee and we were able to prevent his bad wishes from coming to fruition,” Sweeney’s statement continued. “Bridges could have chosen a life of honorable service, but instead changed it for the possibility of a long prison sentence. This case should serve as a reminder that the FBI’s New York JTTF will never give up to his commitment to protect our nation from all who want to hurt him. ”