ISIS foreign fighter charged with supporting terrorist organization: US Department of Justice

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Saturday, the US Department of Justice announced that a Canadian of Saudi origin who fought in the ranks of the Islamic State organization (ISIS), known as the “Voice of ISIS” was “charged with conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization, resulting to death.”

Muhammad Khalifa, 38, born in Saudi Arabia, was arrested in January 2019 by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), according to the information circulated.  

A statement issued by the US Department of Justice stated that he was “recently” handed over to the US authorities, where he was accused in Virginia of conspiring to provide material support to a terrorist organization, resulting to death.

The US authorities say, he left Canada in 2013 to join ISIS in Syria. By the following year, he became a key member of the English Media Section as he was fluent in both English and Arabic.  

It is believed that Khalifa acted as a lead translator in the production of ISIS propaganda and narrated two violent recruitment videos in English.

“As alleged, Khalifa not only fought for ISIS on the battlefield in Syria, but he was also the voice behind the violence,” said Acting US Attorney Raj Parekh for the Eastern District of Virginia.

“Through his alleged leading role in translating, narrating, and advancing ISIS’s online propaganda, Khalifa promoted the terrorist group, furthered its worldwide recruitment efforts, and expanded the reach of videos that glorified the horrific murders and indiscriminate cruelty of ISIS,” Parekh added.

This is the first known indictment in the US of a foreign fighter of ISIS since President Joe Biden took office earlier this year.