A US army soldier has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to aid ISIS in planning attacks on American troops, the Department of Justice revealed. Cole Bridges, from Stow, Ohio, was found guilty of trying to support the terrorist group and conspiring to murder US soldiers, as reported by ABC News.
24-year-old Bridges, who joined the Army in 2019, was a cavalry scout in the Third Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia.Before enlisting, he had started exploring jihadist propaganda online, expressing his support for ISIS on social media. By October 2020, he was communicating with an FBI undercover agent posing as an ISIS supporter in contact with fighters in the Middle East.
“Bridges provided training and guidance to purported ISIS fighters who were planning attacks, including advice about potential targets in New York City,” the DOJ said. He also sent the FBI agent portions of a US Army training manual, believing it would assist ISIS in their operations.
In December 2020, Bridges increased his involvement by supplying instructions on how to ambush US forces in the Middle East. He shared diagrams and tactics intended to help ISIS maximise the effectiveness of their attacks. Bridges even advised on how to rig buildings with explosives to target US Special Forces.
In January 2021, Bridges recorded a video of himself in his US Army uniform, standing before an ISIS flag and making a gesture of support for the terrorist group. A week later, he sent another video in which he delivered a speech, using voice manipulation to conceal his identity.
The FBI, along with several other military and intelligence agencies, was involved in the investigation. “Our troops risk their lives for our country,” said Acting US attorney Audrey Strauss. “They should never face such peril at the hands of one of their own.”