Pakistani Doctor in Minnesota Charged with Attempting to Aid ISIS

A Pakistani doctor based in Minnesota has been charged with attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State. Muhammad Masood, 28, was arrested on Thursday at the international airport in Minneapolis and later appeared in court. He is accused of publicly swearing his allegiance to ISIS and of expressing a desire to both join the ranks of the terror group in Syria as well as perpetrate “lone wolf” attacks in the United States. Masood allegedly purchased a plane ticket from Chicago to Jordan, from where he would make his way to Syria, but the flight was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. He thereafter hatched a plan to fly to Los Angeles to meet someone he believed would facilitate his travel to ISIS-held territory aboard a ship. Masood was detained by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force after checking in for that flight.