NYC man who wanted to join Taliban and kill US troops convicted in federal court, prosecutors say

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Jeremy Hunt blasted the Biden administration for its handling of Afghanistan as Americans and U.S. allies remain stranded in the war-torn country.

A New York City man who tried to help the Taliban fight American forces in Afghanistan was convicted in a federal courtroom last week, officials said Monday. 

Delowar Mohammed Hossain, 36, was found guilty Friday in Manhattan federal court of attempting to provide material support to the terror group. 

He was arrested on July 26, 2019, at John F. Kennedy International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight to Thailand, the first leg of his journey to Afghanistan, the Justice Department said. He was found with mountain survival gear and thousands of dollars in cash to purchase weapons, authorities said. 

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Taliban fighters escort women march in support of the Taliban government outside Kabul University, Afghanistan. A New York City man was convicted last week of attempting to provide support to the terror group.  (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

According to federal prosecutors, Hossain began expressing a desire to travel to Afghanistan to kill U.S. troops in 2018. Over a 10-month period, he recruited several others, one of whom was a government informant, and made contact with someone in Pakistan who was associated with the Taliban. 

Court documents said Hossain told the informant: "I want to kill some kufars (non-believers) before I die."

Prosecutors said his preparations included buying equipment like walkie-talkies and trekking gear. He instructed the informant to save enough money "to buy some weapons" once they reached Afghanistan, they added.

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He faces 35 years in prison when he is sentenced in January 2022. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.