US man arrested in Islamic State-inspired plot

A man was arrested after being accused of planning to carry out a violent attack against Americans on Wednesday.

Christopher Cornell, 20, a US citizen from the state of Ohio, was arrested after being accused of plotting an attack on the US Congress.

According to a Federal Bureau of Investigations criminal complaint, the attack was motivated by Islamic State (IS) militants and came to the attention of the FBI by way of a criminal complaint.

Following the complaint, the US Justice Department charged Cornell with "attempting to kill officers and employees of the United States" as well as possession of a firearm to carry out violent acts. 

While the FBI stated that Cornell was never a threat to the US public, he purchased two semi-automatic weapons and nearly 600 rounds of ammunition. According to the complaint, Cornell told informants he intended to use the weapons on US government officials, declaring them ‘enemies’.

Cornell, a resident of Green Township, Ohio, relayed his plans to an FBI informant, indicting himself and suggesting that US citizens create an alliance with IS and coordinate and execute operations on US soil, according to the complaint.

“We already got a thumbs up from the brothers over there and Anwar al-Awlaki before his martyrdom and many others,” he allegedly said.

Awlaki, an American citizen, was killed in a US drone strike in Yemen in 2011. US authorities allege that he was an operational leader for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. 

In addition to the automatic weapons, Cornell planned to produce and use pipe-bombs in the attack. As well as relaying these plans to FBI informants, Cornell also dispatched his plans via a Twitter account which he opened under the pseudonym, Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah.

According to the FBI, Cornell used his account to express strong support for IS and for actions against US targets.

The criminal complaint stated that “using his Twitter accounts, Defendant Cristopher Cornell posted statements, videos, and other content indicting his support for ISIL”.

Cornell "also voiced his support for violent jihad, as well as support for violent attacks committed by others in North America and elsewhere”.