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A2 UP FRONT
Tuesday 24 sepTember 2019
U.S. soldier arrested on charge of sharing bomb instructions

Continued from Front Conway, South Carolina,
as an infantryman and
In an online chat group, completed training at Fort
Smith allegedly discussed Benning, Georgia. He has
with a confidential source not deployed.
in August a plan to con- In one exchange Friday
duct an attack within the with an FBI undercover
United States and said he agent on the encrypted
was looking for more “radi- messaging service Tele-
cals” like himself, the com- gram, Smith discussed
plaint alleges. He talked using various household
about destroying nearby chemicals and commonly
cell towers or a local news available equipment to
station. make a bomb.
In an interview before his “That’s the best way to
arrest, Smith told investiga- fight people,” Smith is quot-
tors he knows how to make ed in the complaint as writ-
improvised explosives de- ing. “Making AK-47s out of
vices and that he routine- expensive parts is cool, but
ly provides instruction on imagine of you will if you
building them. He stated were going to Walmart in-
he did this to cause “cha- stead of gun store to buy
os.” He said if chaos results weapons.”
in the death of people as During that same ex-
a result of information he change, Smith allegedly
provided, it would not af- sent the agent instruc-
fect him, according to the tions for building a “Middle
complaint. East style bomb” that if
Lt. Col. Terry Kelley, with the big enough could destroy
1st Infantry Division Public U.S. military vehicles. An
Affairs at Fort Riley, said in FBI bomb technician later
a statement that Smith has determined the specific in-
been assigned to Fort Riley structions could have con-
since June 2019. structed a viable device.
He previously served at Fort When the undercover
Bliss, Texas, from November agent asked Smith if there
2017 to June 2019. was anyone in Texas who In this Feb. 9 2015 file photo, vehicles park around a water tower at Fort Riley, Kan. Prosecutors say
He entered the Army from would be a good fit for “fire, a U.S. Army soldier shared bomb-making instructions online and also discussed killing activists
and bombing a news network.
Associated Press
destruction and death,” up to $250,000, according land.” They also said he
Smith reportedly replied, to the U.S. attorney’s office. compiled a list of targets
“Outside of Beto? I don’t Smith is the latest of a string that included prominent
know enough people that of people charged with Democratic politicians and
would be relevant enough activity that federal author- media figures.
to cause a change if they ities said could lead to do- In 2015, authorities arrest-
died” — an apparent refer- mestic terrorism, including ed John T. Booker Jr., a
ence to former Texas Rep. several current or former 20-year-old Topeka, Kan-
Beto O’Rourke, who is run- members of the military. sas, resident as he tried to
ning for the Democratic In April, an Army combat arm what he thought was
presidential nomination. veteran in Southern Cali- a bomb outside Fort Riley .
O’Rourke’s campaign fornia was arrested after Booker had expressed sup-
spokeswoman Aleigha receiving what he thought port for the terrorist group
Cavalier said they are was an improvised explo- al-Qaida and said on Face-
grateful to the FBI for their sive device from an under- book that he wanted to die
diligence in handling this cover law enforcement in a jihad.
case and for their work to agent. Authorities say Mark He was sentenced to 30
keep the country safe in Steven Domingo plotted to years in prison after plead-
the face of domestic terror bomb a white supremacist ing guilty in federal court to
threats. rally that didn’t take place attempting to use a weap-
“We take any threat like but also discussed other on of mass destruction and
this very seriously, and our attacks on Jews, churches attempting to destroy gov-
team is in direct contact and police. ernment property with an
with the FBI regarding this Authorities in February ar- explosive.
case,” Cavalier said. “This rested a Maryland man, The most notorious do-
isn’t about any one person Coast Guard Lt. Christo- mestic terrorist in U.S. his-
or one campaign, and we pher Paul Hasson , on gun tory, Timothy McVeigh,
won’t let this scare us or and drug charges, with was stationed at Fort Riley
cause us to back down in prosecutors describing him for a time before he left
fighting for what’s right. as a domestic terrorist and the Army and eventually
If convicted of the charge, white nationalist seeking to staged the Oklahoma City
Smith could face up to 20 use “focused violence” to bombing that killed 168
years in prison and a fine of establish a “white home- people in 1995.q