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Former US soldier Craig Baxam 'helped al-Shabab' | |
(40 minutes later) | |
A former US Army soldier has been charged with trying to help Somalia's al-Shabab militant group. | A former US Army soldier has been charged with trying to help Somalia's al-Shabab militant group. |
Craig Baxam, 24, was arrested by Kenyan authorities in December as he tried to cross the border into Somalia. | Craig Baxam, 24, was arrested by Kenyan authorities in December as he tried to cross the border into Somalia. |
An href="https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B2TioUU0nZkHZmIxYmYyMmEtZGY5Yi00Mjg3LTljY2QtYzUzY2NmMGYxOTVm&hl=en_US" >affidavit released by US prosecutors alleges that he planned to offer several hundred dollars to the militant group, which is linked to al-Qaeda, and to serve as a fighter. | |
He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors say. | He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors say. |
Mr Baxam, who lives in a Maryland suburb outside Washington DC, flew to Nairobi on 20 December and attempted to travel to the Kenyan-Somali border by bus and taxi. | |
He was arrested by US officials when he arrived back in the country on 6 January. | |
The US has designated al-Shabab a terrorist group, and the group has sought to recruit Americans to fight in Somalia. | |
Website conversion | Website conversion |
Mr Baxam joined the army in 2007 and was trained in intelligence and cryptology. | Mr Baxam joined the army in 2007 and was trained in intelligence and cryptology. |
He previously served in Iraq, returned home and then re-enlisted. He was deployed to South Korea for one year beginning in August 2010. | He previously served in Iraq, returned home and then re-enlisted. He was deployed to South Korea for one year beginning in August 2010. |
The affidavit alleges that he converted to Islam secretly after reading an Islamic website wile serving in Korea. | The affidavit alleges that he converted to Islam secretly after reading an Islamic website wile serving in Korea. |
Travelling to Somalia held appeal for Mr Baxam because he wanted to live in a country where he believed Sharia | |
law held sway. He no longer believed he could live in the US, prosecutors say. | |
The only places that were acceptable, according to the affidavit, were Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan, part of Somalia controlled by al-Shabab, and in the southern Philippines. | The only places that were acceptable, according to the affidavit, were Taliban-controlled areas of Afghanistan, part of Somalia controlled by al-Shabab, and in the southern Philippines. |
When told that during interviews with the FBI that al-Shabab encouraged beating people who were seen the street during prayer time, Mr Baxam allegedly replied "that is awesome". | When told that during interviews with the FBI that al-Shabab encouraged beating people who were seen the street during prayer time, Mr Baxam allegedly replied "that is awesome". |
While the affidavit does not describe exactly how Mr Baxam was found, it does say that Mr Baxam was afraid of searching for al-Shabab on his computer because he was "aware of the capabilities of the US government". | |
He also believed his travel towards the Somali border captured the attention of Kenyan authorities, who arrested him before US embassy and FBI officials questioned the former Army officer. |