C/O Futures Terrorism Research Note Series Robert J. Bunker 1 October 2023
Mohamad Al-Bared, a PhD engineering student from Coventry, England, UK, was convicted for his role in a 3D printed weaponized drone plot in support of Islamic State operations. His intent was to smuggle the drone into Africa via Turkey and arm it with either an explosive charge, a chemical weapon, or possibly even a toxin. The drone may have represented a prototype which Al-Bared thought other weaponized Islamic State drones fielded in Africa could be modeled upon. He was leading a double life as a ‘mild-mannered academic’[1] while at the same time had been radicalized to the point he was watching online Jihadi beheading videos and was in regular contact with Islamic State operatives via encrypted chats.
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