US soldier on active duty arrested in Hawaii after pledging allegiance to Isis, FBI confirms

Sergeant Ikaika Kang facing terrorism charges after saying he intended to use his rifle to 'kill a bunch of people' and buying a drone to use against American forces

Paul Delacourt, the FBI special agent in charge of the Hawaii bureau (AP)

An active duty soldier based in Hawaii pledged his allegiance to Isis, helped purchase a drone for it to use against American forces and said he wanted to use his rifle to “kill a bunch of people”, according to an FBI affidavit.

Ikaika Kang, a sergeant first class in the US Army, made an initial appearance in federal court in Honolulu. He was arrested on Saturday on terrorism charges.

Paul Delacourt, the FBI special agent in charge of the Hawaii bureau, said Kang gave military documents to people he believed would give them to Isis, but none of them got to the organisation. He told reporters the FBI believes Kang was a lone actor and wasn't affiliated with anyone who poses a threat.

Kang's court-appointed defence attorney, Birney Bervar, said it appears his client may suffer from service-related mental health issues of which the government was aware but neglected to treat. Bervar declined to elaborate.

He said Kang was “a decorated veteran of two deployments” to Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 26-page affidavit from FBI special agent Jimmy Chen details the year-long investigation into the 34-year-old soldier, who thought he was dealing with Isis agents but were instead undercover agents or sources.

Among the charges was that Kang copied secret military documents in 2015 and wanted to give them to the organisation, according to the affidavit. It also says Kang admitted he voluntarily pledged loyalty to Isis leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The pledge occurred on Saturday at a home in Honolulu, where Kang thought he was meeting an actual member of the organisation. They made combat training videos he believed would be taken back to the Middle East to help prepare the group's soldiers to fight American forces, the affidavit adds.

​Kang, who received extensive combat training, also helped purchase a drone on Saturday that he believed would help Isis soldiers evade US tanks in battle, explaining US tank crews were highly trained and difficult to defeat. Kang told the undercover agents that the drone would allow Isis members to view the battlefield from above “to find tank positions and avenues for escape”.

Kang, a trained air traffic controller based at Hawaii's Wheeler Army Airfield, had his military clearance revoked in 2012 for making pro-Isis comments while at work and on-post, and threatening to hurt or kill fellow service members.

His clearance was reinstated a year later after he completed military requirements.

However, the affidavit says the army believed Kang was becoming radicalised in 2016 and asked the FBI to investigate.

Kang has two firearms registered in his name, an AR-15-style assault rifle and a handgun. After the shooting last summer at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, he told an undercover source that the “shooter did what he had to do” and later said that “America is the only terrorist organisation in the world”.

The affidavit also alleges he later told the same source that “Hitler was right, saying he believed in the mass killing of Jews”.

He told a confidential informant in March that he was angry at a civilian who had taken away his air traffic controller's licence and that he wanted to torture him.

“Kang said that if he ever saw him again, he would tie him down and pour Drano in his eyes,” it added.

Kang enlisted in the army in December 2001, just months after the 11 September attacks. He served in Iraq from March 2010 to February 2011, and Afghanistan from July 2013 to April 2014. Kang was assigned to the headquarters of the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade.

At Kang's home, there was red “evidence” tape on his door and on his water heater storage door.

He has one roommate and bought the unit less than a year ago.

Pua Edayan, the office manager at Kang's condo complex in Waipahu, described Kang as “a quiet person”.

“He gave me no trouble,” she said.

“I'm very shocked. This is surprise news to me.”

Associated Press