(Candace Eaton)
A Long Island teenager who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges has been ordered by a federal judge on Wednesday to undergo a mental exam, reports Newsday.
Justin Kaliebe, 18, pleaded guilty to terrorism charges and admitted that he tried to travel to Yemen and join al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. Kaliebe, a United States citizen, was arrested in January at the John F. Kennedy Airport as he was about to board a flight to Oman.
“His goal was to travel overseas to wage violent jihad against Yemeni and U.S. forces opposed to Al Qaeda,” said Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch.
He began plotting to join Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in late 2011. The teenager was inspired by internet videos of hateful propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in Yemen, as well as an article titled Proud to be a Traitor written by AQAP thug Samir Khan.
Authorities discovered Kaliebe through the help of two informants who secretly recorded multiple meetings. He faces up to 30 years in prison.
