US soldier convicted of conspiring to attack 9/11 Memorial and kill troops in Middle East – NBC Los Angeles

A US soldier has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison after admitting he tried to help ISIS plan attacks on New York City landmarks – including the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan – and helped the terrorist group to help carry out more deadly attacks on American troops in the Middle East, according to court documents.

Cole Bridges was sentenced to 14 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and murder U.S. military personnel, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said Friday. The 24-year-old had already pleaded guilty in June.

Bridges, a private first class in the U.S. Army who joined around September 2019, had already browsed and consumed online materials that promoted jihadists prior to his time in the military, a criminal complaint said. He would also use social media to express support for ISIS and jihad.

In October 2020, about a year after joining the Army, Bridges began communicating through an encrypted messaging app with someone he believed was an ISIS supporter but was actually an undercover FBI agent. In those messages, he expressed his frustration with the U.S. military and his desire to help ISIS eliminate American soldiers, according to the criminal complaint.

In addition to giving the undercover officer portions of an Army training manual and instructions on U.S. military tactics, Bridges also gave advice on how best to conduct attacks, including on potential targets in New York City. When asked about the most effective way to carry out an attack, Bridges reportedly replied: “Strike at the heart of the enemy and make a statement and a clear message to the leaders.”

In a later conversation, Bridges offered to come to New York to meet with the ISIS fighter he said he had been in contact with. At that point, the conversation focused on potential targets in New York City, officials say.

In mid-November, the undercover agent sent Bridges photos of federal, local and foreign government buildings in and around New York City. This agent claimed, “Everything is so heavily guarded, I don’t know if it’s even possible to conduct an operation in NYC.”

Bridges, who was also known as Cole Gonzales, reportedly advised the agent to “choose your targets wisely” and inquired about other potential targets being considered. It was not immediately clear which government buildings were the next topic of conversation, but Bridges reportedly said there was “not enough firepower” for that. At that time, the topic of the 9/11 memorial was raised, the criminal complaint states.

In December, Bridges began providing ISIS agents with instructions on how ISIS fighters could attack and kill U.S. forces in the Middle East. This included planning specific military maneuvers designed to help terrorists carry out deadlier attacks on soldiers.

Bridges gave advice on how best to secure an ISIS camp against an American attack, including by wiring certain buildings with explosives aimed at killing U.S. troops, the complaint says. In January 2021, he posted a video of himself wearing body armor in front of an ISIS flag, making a symbolic gesture of support for ISIS.

About a week later, Bridges sent a second video in which he used a voice manipulator to narrate a propaganda speech in support of an expected ISIS ambush on U.S. troops

The search for keywords such as “US Soldier Shooting” and “Badass Jihadi,” which were found on his computer via a warrant, dates back to December 25, 2019, according to the criminal complaint. He reportedly updated his Facebook profile and background to reflect his views in August 2020. Images of the changes were included in the complaint (see below).