Ex-US soldier gets 45 years for terrorism plot

(RT) ⸻ A federal judge in New York has sentenced a former US Army private to 45 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack on his airborne infantry unit while it was deployed in Türkiye. Ethan Phelan Melzer, also known as Etil Reggad, pleaded guilty to attempting to murder US service members, providing material support to terrorists, and illegally disclosing national defense information. Prosecutors said Melzer infiltrated the US Army in the service of the UK-based O9A and intended to ambush his fellow soldiers in a carefully plotted "jihadist attack." O9A encourages its followers to join Western militaries to help destroy them, and admires Islamic jihadists such as former Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Melzer joined the US Army around 2018 and was deployed to Italy in October 2019. During his training, he learned details about the purpose, layout, and security of the Turkish base and began using encrypted messaging to share information with jihadists and members of O9A, especially a sub-group called the 'RapeWaffen Division'. He advocated for an attack that would "essentially cripple" his unit's fire teams, and pledged to provide real-time photos of the base and the frequency and channel of US Army radio communications.