New York terrorism case involving Canadian shows growing reach of ISIL: Experts
TORONTO — Experts say the guilty plea from a Canadian teenager who admitted to plotting to bomb major landmarks in New York City underscores the fact that Canada is not immune to the growing global reach of terrorist networks
Officials in the United States released details of Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy’s guilty plea on Friday, months after it was heard by a New York court.
The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont. admitted to connecting with operatives with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as conspiring with associates in Pakistan and the Philippines to build car bombs targeting such critical areas as Times Square and the city subway system.
Court documents provided by the U.S. justice department provided few details as to how El Bahnasawy came to espouse extremist beliefs, but imams and scholars alike say the case is a further demonstration that radical messages are reaching a Canadian audience.