Government officials from three separate agencies say a Michigan man identified as Ibraheem Musaibli was detained in Syria as a member of the Islamic State.
The Wolverine State may have itself an “ISIS wolverine.” Multiple sources told The New York Times this week that the 28-year-old Dearborn native along with an Indiana woman identified as Samantha Elhassani are in holding facilities.
They will be flown stateside for prosecution.
“My brother is a saint. He wouldn’t hurt a fly,” Mr. Musaibli’s younger sibling Abe Musaibli told the newspaper via Facebook messenger.
The Times’ sources only spoke on condition of anonymity.
Spokesmen for the State, Justice and Defense Departments, as well at the FBI, declined to comment when contacted by the newspaper.
“Mr. Musaibli is interesting because this is the first time with the use of federal courts for such a case under the Trump administration,” Seamus Hughes, a terrorism expert and deputy director of the Program on Extremism at George Washington University, said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “We have had a number of Americans who have been captured in Syria, Iraq, or Turkey fleeing the Islamic State. Most end up charged with federal crimes.”
Officials said Mr. Musaibli is suspected of traveling to Syria from Yemen in 2015.
Ms. Elhassani identified herself to Syrian Democratic Forces after the death of her terrorist husband on the battlefield.
The Times noted that she has four children, which includes a 10-year-old son who appeared in an ISIS propaganda video.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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