U.S. Air Force Veteran Arrested Attempting to Join Islamic State
By 
Ryan Mauro, Clarion Project, Wed, March 18, 2015
URL of the Original Posting Site: http://www.clarionproject.org/news/us-air-force-veteran-arrested-attempting-join-islamic-state
- U.S. Air Force veteran AND TRAITOR Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh.
A US Air force veteran has been charged with attempting to join the Islamic State. Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, 47, originally from New Jersey, was arrested by the FBI two months ago, but the arrest was made public today. Pugh converted to Islam in 1998. The FBI said that his views steadily became more radical from that point.
He had attempted to travel from Egypt, where he had been living, to Turkey, with the intention of crossing the border and joining the Islamic State. Turkish authorities denied him entry into the country, returning him to Egypt. On his return to Egypt he was promptly deported to the United States where the FBI arrested him.
On his laptop the FBI found he had been viewing Islamic State propaganda videos online and that his Google searches included “borders controlled by Islamic State,” “Kobane border crossing,” and “who controls Kobane.” Prosecutors allege that Pugh’s laptop also contained a letter to his wife in Egypt which read “I will use the talents and skills given to me by Allah to establish and defend the Islamic States.”
Pugh served in the US Air Force from 1986 to 1990, where he was trained as an airplane mechanic. He learned how to install weapons systems and engines.
He is being charged with attempting to join the Islamic State and obstruction of justice. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 35 years.
About the Author: Ryan Mauro
Ryan Mauro is the National Security Analyst for the Clarion Project, a nonprofit organization that educates the public about the threat of Islamic extremism and provides a platform for voices of moderation and tolerance within the Muslim community.
Mauro is a frequent contributor to Clarion’s dynamic website ClarionProject.org, providing insightful analysis of the latest news around the global on this subject. The site is viewed by over 100,000 visitors per month.
Mauro is also a consultant to government agencies and an adjunct professor of homeland security. Mauro formerly served as an intelligence analyst for Tactical Defense Concepts, a maritime-related security group.
Mauro appears frequently on news outlets around the world including Fox News, Voice of America, Sun News Network, News Channel 8, RT and CCTV. His analysis and research has been widely published in media outlets such as The Daily Caller, PJ Media, and the peer-reviewed journal, Middle East Quarterly. He has made over 1,000 appearances on radio and top-tier TV.
Mauro has a Bachelor’s degree in Intelligence Studies and a Master’s degree in political science from American Military University.
What Did You Say? 
You must be logged in to post a comment.