US charges woman with plot to blow up New York State Capitol

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US authorities charged a woman who allegedly supported the Islamic State group with a terrorism offense Thursday after she told an FBI informant she “wanted to destroy” the New York State Capitol buildings, court filings showed.

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Located in Albany near the Canadian border, the New York State Capitol is the nerve center of the state government and contains both houses of the state’s legislature.

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Jessica Bowie, 35, was charged with attempting to provide material support to designated “foreign terrorist organizations” according to court filings.

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The woman had allegedly converted to Islam and become a vocal online supporter of the Islamic State group, posting anti-American messages online including support for the September 11, 2001 attackers.

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She is alleged to have told an FBI informant of her support for the proscribed group and sought guidance on how to manufacture explosives, the criminal complaint shows.

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Bowie told the informant that she would “make it a point to have picnics by the capital to observe” and learn about security measures, the complaint alleges.

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She added to the informant on an encrypted messaging app that she had “picked up some anarchist literature at the social justice center” which “could have some good tips.”

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“I want to destroy as much of the building as possible and kill the senators while they are meeting. I want them to lose a lot of important documents as well,” she wrote.

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The accused woman mused about posing as a food delivery driver, using the disguise as cover to access the facility to plant a bomb, before fleeing to Syria.

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She allegedly suggested she could return to the United States to attack further high-profile targets including New York’s Times Square if her escape was successful.

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After acquiring a DoorDash bag and components for a bomb, including nails to be used as shrapnel, Bowie was arrested on August 19 by FBI agents.

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“There’s no helping me, you guys know enough,” she is alleged to have told agents.

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Bowie was due to appear in court Thursday. Her attorney did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.

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AFP

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