Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is a Canadian citizen who was convicted in 2016 of terrorism-related offenses. El Bahnasawy plotted via online chat to carry out an attack on Times Square and the subway system in New York City.^[1] In December 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in a US federal prison.^[2] In 2021, El Bahnasawy was accused of stabbing and attempting to a kill a federal correctional officer at United States Penitentiary, Allenwood. His conviction and imprisonment have generated some controversy due to El Bahnasawy's history of mental health issues and age at the time of the plot.^[3]

Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy
Born	(1998-05-21) May 21, 1998 (age 25) Kuwait City, Kuwait
Citizenship	Canadian
Conviction(s)	Conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction (18 U.S. Code § 2332a) Conspiracy to commit terrorism transcending national boundaries (18 U.S. Code § 2332b) Conspiracy to bomb a place of public use and public transportation system (18 U.S. Code § 2332f) Conspiracy to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization (18 U.S.C. § 2339B)
Criminal penalty	40 years in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release.
Details
Target(s)	New York City Subway, Times Square, and concert venues
Imprisoned at	ADX Florence
Website	https://bringabdulhome.ca/

Early life

El Bahnasawy was born in Kuwait and raised in Mississauga, Ontario. Throughout El Bahnsawy's adolescent life, he struggled with issues related to his mental illness and subsequent substance abuse.^[1] El Bahnasawy had a significant history of mental health difficulties prior to his arrest.^[4] From age 14 El Bahnasawy was placed as an inpatient in three different mental health hospitals, including one in Egypt, the Kuwaiti Center of Psychiatric Health and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto, Ontario.^[5] El Bahnasawy was a 17-year-old minor with no history of violence or criminal record prior to making contact with an undercover FBI informant to plot terror attacks in New York City.^[6]

Terror plot and arrest

El Bahnasawy began communicating on message boards in support of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization. He conspired with Talha Haroon, a 20-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Pakistan, and Russell Salic, a 38-year-old Philippines citizen and resident, to conduct bombings and shootings in heavily populated areas of New York City during the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan in 2016, all in the name of ISIS. El Bahnasawy purchased bomb-making materials for the attack and rented out a cabin that was driving distance from New York City to build the bombs for the attack. Additionally, El Bahnasawy purchased hydrogen peroxide to be used in explosive devices. El Bahnasawy expressed to the undercover informant that "Americans needed the attack" and that he aspired to "create the next 9/11".^[7] All activates were online with the encouragement and guidance from the undercover as his lawyer stated in court filing. Haroon allegedly made plans to travel from Pakistan to New York City to join El Bahnasawy in carrying out the attacks. As El Bahnasawy and Haroon prepared to execute the attacks, Salic allegedly wired money from the Philippines to the United States to help fund the terrorist operation.^[8]

The group was infiltrated by an undercover informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), who acted as if they were willing to participate in the attack. On a family trip in May 2016, El Bahnasawy was arrested by federal agents in New Jersey; he was charged with conspiracy to commit terror acts transcending national borders and providing material support to terror groups. Haroon and Salic were arrested in Pakistan and the Philippines, respectively. In 2020, a Pakistani Supreme Court decided to halt the United States extradition request of Haroon. Salic, a Filipino doctor, is also yet to be extradited to the United States.^[9][10] El Bahnasawy's lawyer alleges he was entrapped by the FBI with the help of RCMP, who were aware of his mental illness but did not contact his family.^[11][4] The undercover agent exchanged “inflammatory messages” with El Bahnasawy, as communications showed the Canadian was “influenced by the informant who contributed to Mr. El Bahnasawy's radicalization,” the defence said.^[6] Additionally, none of the plans were carried out.^[2]

On December 19, 2018, El Bahnasawy was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison. The prosecution on the case had pushed for El Bahnasawy to be sentenced to life imprisonment. El Bahnasawy's mother yelled "This is a sick boy! This is crazy. You have no justice," before being ushered out of the courtroom.^[12]

Court recommendations

A number of recommendations were made to the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) on where to house El Bahnasawy. The court recommended that El Bahnasawy be designated to FCI Butner Medium (care level 3) to facilitate greater proximity to mental health services. To the extent BOP finds that El Bahnasawy should be housed at a Mental Health Care Level 2 facility, the court recommended FCI McKean or FCI Schuylkill, both in Pennsylvania, to facilitate regular visitation with his parents and sister.^[13] Despite the court recommendations, El Bahnasawy was placed in the Special Housing Unit (SHU) of USP Big Sandy.^[13][14]

Prison attack

On December 7, 2020, at around 6:15 am, while incarcerated at United States Penitentiary, Allenwood, El Bahnasawy snuck behind corrections officer Dale Franquet Jr and stabbed him twice in the back and eye with a 14-inch shank. El Bahnasawy then attacked a responding correctional officer but was subdued with the usage of OC spray. Franquet lost his eye in the attack. El Bahnasawy was quickly transferred to United States Penitentiary, Lewisburg.^[15] In April 2021, El Bahnasawy was transferred to the United States Penitentiary, Administrative Maximum Facility.^[16]

On October 20, 2022, El Bahnasawy pled no contest to charges of two counts of assault on a federal officer. In addition he was also charged with two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a prohibited object, and providing material support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization. According to his attorney, Andrew J. Frisch, El Bahnasawy potentially faces an additional 40 years in prison.^[17][18]

References

1. Bell, Stewart; Hill, Brian (June 20, 2018). "He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS.Records show he's mentally ill. Is he a terrorist?". Global News.
2. "Mentally ill Canadian convicted in terror probe lands in U.S. supermaximum security prison".
3. "Mentally ill Canadian convicted in terror probe lands in U.S. super maximum security prison".
4. "Family of Mississauga teen in NYC terror plot says FBI operated overzealous sting operation". thestar.com. March 21, 2018.
5. "He plotted to bomb Times Square for ISIS. Records show he's mentally ill. Is he a terrorist? | Globalnews.ca". globalnews.ca.
6. "Undercover informant encouraged 'vulnerable' Canadian ISIS plotter, defence argues | Globalnews.ca". Global News.
7. "United States v. El Bahnasawy, No. 18-3805 | Casetext Search + Citator". casetext.com. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
8. "Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Plotting to Carry out Terrorist Attacks in New York City for ISIS in Summer of 2016". United States Department of Justice. December 19, 2018.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
9. Aamir, Latif (September 21, 2020). "Pakistan court halts terror suspect's extradition to US". Anadolu Agency.
10. Mogato, Manuel (October 11, 2017). "Philippines Doctor Linked to New York Attack Plot a 'Regular, Generous Guy'". JakartaGlobe.
11. Hill, Brian (March 2, 2018). "RCMP knew Canadian was treated at mental-health facility before entering U.S., terrorism arrest, conviction: documents". Global News.
12. "Canadian convicted of terrorism in U.S. gets 40 years in prison". CBC News. December 19, 2018.
13. "The Court makes the following recommendations to the Bureau of Prisons" (PDF). Extremism Gwu.
14. Columnist, Amira Elghawaby Contributing (2020-04-21). "Amira Elghawaby: COVID-19 is latest twist in Canadian family's nightmare". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
15. Hunter, Brad (December 17, 2020). "Convicted Canadian terrorist behind bloody prison knife attack: Report". Toronto Sun.
16. "Inmate Locator". www.bop.gov. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
17. Beauge, John (2022-10-18). "Inmate seeks to plead no contest to two charges in Allenwood guard stabbing". pennlive. Retrieved 2022-10-25.
18. "Inmate with ISIS ties who stabbed officer in eye seeks pleas of no contest". sungazette.com. Retrieved 2022-10-25.