A New York man has been convicted of calling on ISIS supporters to commit lone-wolf terror attacks in New York City after posting online that the
“thought of plunging a sharp object into another person’s flesh” never is an “excuse for abandoning jihad.”
Zachary Clark, 41, of Brooklyn also posted instructions on how to conduct an attack, including picking a target, conducting surveillance and avoiding attracting law enforcement attention, according to the Department of Justice.
His manual on “Knife Attacks” stated that while knives are not the only weapon to harm “the kuffar,” or nonbelievers, they are “widely available in every land and thus readily accessible.”
The DOJ identified the several of Clark’s aliases, including Umar Kabir.
He pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to ISIS.
He is to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald on Feb. 9, 2021.
“Having pledged allegiance to ISIS, Clark provided specific instructions for how to conduct attacks in New York City, instructing others on knifing and bomb-making,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers. “We must remain vigilant to the threat of terrorism. We must remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who threaten our communities because of their support for foreign terrorist organizations.”
“As he admitted in court today, Zachary Clark pledged allegiance to ISIS and posted calls for attacks on the public and institutions in New York on encrypted pro-ISIS chatrooms,” said acting U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss for the Southern District of New York. “He also posted detailed instructions for carrying out those violent acts. Thanks to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Clark’s efforts to incite deadly violence on behalf of ISIS have been silenced, and he now awaits sentencing for his crimes.”
The DOJ explained Clark pledged allegiance to ISIS twice, first in July 2019 to ISIS’s then-leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and then in October 2019 to ISIS’s new leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Sashemi al-Qurayshi, who ISIS promoted after al-Baghdadi’s death.
Clark also posted online “Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom,” the DOJ said.
He pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support or resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization, ISIS, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
