NYC man arrested for "relentless" attempts to join ISIS
A 22-year-old man from Queens, New York, faces charges after making "relentless" attempts to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, in the Middle East, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.
Ali Saleh was arrested at his home Thursday and made an initial court appearance later in the day in Brooklyn federal court.
According to court documents, Saleh made "multiple attempts" to travel to the Middle East in a bid to join the terrorist group, booking tickets to Istanbul and Cairo.
The criminal complaint says Saleh was denied from boarding flights over the last year at various airports, including John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Philadelphia International Airport.
"Saleh was relentless in his attempts to travel to the Middle East to join a terrorist organization," said Acting U.S. Attorney Currie. "We will continue to track down and prosecute individuals like Saleh before they are able to harm the United States and its allies."
Saleh is also accused of using social media to communicate with ISIS contacts and allegedly used his Twitter account to post: "I'm ready to die for the Caliphate, prison is nothing."