Islamic convert charged with plotting to blow up NY capitol, kill legislators

(The Center Square) – A New York woman who converted to Islam has been charged in connection to a plot to blow up the New York State capitol building in Albany and kill state legislators.

Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, appeared in federal court on Thursday. She is charged with attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

“As alleged, Bowie plotted to deploy an explosive device at the New York State Capitol, intending to kill public officials and to destroy ‘as much of the building as possible’ before fleeing to ISIS-controlled territory in Syria,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Eisenberg said in a statement. “The National Security Division and our law-enforcement partners are committed to the painstaking work of preventing plots like this from succeeding and securing convictions against those who attempt such plots.”

On Aug.19, Bowie was arrested by law enforcement after she gained possession of what authorities said she believed was an explosive device she planned to detonate at the capitol. Images released by the FBI appear to show her dressed from head to toe in black, wearing a full burka, with her face and hands covered. The FBI alleges they depict her purchasing items to make explosive devices and taking photos of the capitol building in Albany.

According to a sworn affidavit, FBI Special Agent Joshua Parker described Bowie’s social media posts, including, “Praise be to Allah for September 11th.”

In three weeks, Americans are wil commemorate the 25th anniversary of the greatest terrorist attack committed on U.S. soil.

Her posts describe her alleged intent to “poison these infidels,” referring to Americans and non-Muslims. They also include her allegedly pledging allegiance to “the Commander of the Faithful and the Caliph of the Muslims, the Mujahid Sheikh Abu Hafs al-Hashimi al-Qurashi,” the current leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS). The U.S. designated ISIS as a foreign terrorist organization in 2004.

In one post included in the complaint, Bowie describes the capitol building saying, “I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting. I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well. I want it to have a affect on the American system. And destroy some of the taghut.”

In another, the FBI said she vowed to engage in jihad, Islamic holy war, stating, “Jihad is a obligation until the day of judgment to establish God laws and enjoin good faith and forbid evil and fight until there is no fitnah.”

The term, Jihad, Arabic for “striving or struggling,” refers to “the use of violence, including paramilitary action, against persons and/or governments deemed by the extremist group to be enemies of their fundamentalist version of Islam,” Parker said.

Other posts describe Bowie wanting to learn how to make explosives, “plan a major attack,” target “my state capitol … and hop on a plane after” in order to “do something to benefit (sic) the ummah and harm the enemies of god,” according to the charges.

In the aftermath of 9/11, national security agencies were accused of a range of failures, including failing to prevent the attacks. This time, the FBI detected and stopped a terrorist attack from happening, FBI National Security Branch Operations Director Matt Fodor said.

“This case is yet another example of how this FBI is built to not only identify threats of terrorism quickly, but to stop their alleged plots before they are able to harm the American people,” he said.

Last year, FBI Director Kash Patel said the FBI made 2,300 arrests related to FTOs, 700 counter terrorism arrests and 640 counterterrorism disruptions, The Center Square reported.

The case is being investigated by the FBI, U. S. Secret Service, New York State Police and the Albany Police Department. Attorneys with the DOJ’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.

Similar terrorism cases are being prosecuted nationwide.

In Washington and New Jersey, young men born in the U.S. after 9/11 pleaded guilty to terrorism charges after vowing to fight and support ISIS.

In another New Jersey case, a Muslim man who would have been 3 years old on 9/11 was convicted of providing material support to terrorism after attempting to carry out an Iranian fatwa, The Center Square reported.

In cases in New Jersey, Kansas and California, Muslim men born in the U.S. after 9/11 were charged with attempting to provide support to ISIS. One in Kansas City said he wished he could kill 300,000,000 Americans, according to court documents.

A Texas man was also charged with providing material support to ISIS in New York who was building and instructing others how to build bombs, The Center Square reported.

(Photo credit: Unsplash, Joshua Williams)