Craig Baxam, ex-Army intelligence expert, nabbed in bid to join Al Qaeda affilliate

Craig Baxam, ex-Army intelligence expert, nabbed in bid to join Al Qaeda affilliate in Somalia: feds
24-year-old quit military in July, converted to Islam and was later busted on bus in Kenya, documents say
By Joseph Straw / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Tuesday, January 10 2012, 12:03 PM



WASHINGTON -- An ex-Army intelligence specialist was caught heading to Somalia to fight and die there with Al Qaeda's regional affiliate, investigators charge.

Craig Baxam, 24, left the military in July and immediately converted to a strict, violent interpretation of Islam, he told the FBI.

The Laurel, Maryland native was caught late last month on a bus in Kenya "looking for dying with a gun in my hand," according to his arrest affidavit.

Baxam is the latest American to seek out the radical group Al Shabaab in Somalia's decades-long civil war, which has drawn in U.S. special operations forces, plus neighbors Kenya and Ethiopia.

Last year an investigation by staff on the House Homeland Security Committee, led by Chairman Pete King (R-L.I.), found that at least 40 Americans had traveled to join Al Shabaab, many from Minnesota's Somali-American community.

More than half were unaccounted for, and thus posed a high risk of returning home to wage jihad here, King argued.

Baxam, however, told investigators he wanted to live in an area governed by the strict edicts of Islamic Sharia law, such as those imposed by Al Shabaab, and defend them to the death if necessary.

Trained in intelligence and cryptography, Baxam said he converted to Islam shortly before leaving the Army in July when he read about the religion online.

He returned home to Maryland and his appetite for religious doctrine intensified, he said.

Kenyan police picked up Baxam December 23, he said, after a man he spoke to likely alerted police. FBI agents posted to Nairobi questioned him.

Told by the agents that Al Shabaab beats people caught on the streets during daily prayers, Baxam told them "that is awesome."

He is charged with providing material support and resources to a terror group. He appeared Monday before a federal judge in Maryland.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wor...eda-affilliate-somalia-feds-article-1.1003911

 

Let's review... arrested in Kenya and hauled in front of a federal judge in Maryland 17 days later at taxpayer expense. Doesn't look like this scumbag's rights are being violated.

 

Maybe BO combined the terrorists retrieval with a trip to Kenya to visit his family on Air Force One.
Thereby saving the tax payers a little.

 

Not so hard to follow the rule of law now is it?

 

I have to say that I have feel no remorse for this guy. Taking our training, hopefully not privvy to too much intelligence, and then going with our enemies. Pretty blatant. This is one of those - you gotta be kidding me - things. Sad.



c

 

Oh man, I say get the guy, but you have to bring the President into it.

I'm just glad we caught him, hopefully before he can do us any real damage.




c

 

Isn't that a capital crime?

 

What I think would be "awesome" are free lodging in a supermax cell, free halal food, a free Koran and everything else he needs to practice his new religion 24/7 without any distractions.

 

OK but you really don't think it was funny? Seriously?

 

NO. An intel officer who defects like that?

That is treason.

Once convicted he should spend a minimum amount of time in a cell.

ALL of our troubles in the world have come from former assets turning against us. They get the best training in the world, and then we have to fight them on their ground.

We need to start making examples out of this kind of behavior.