US Army Veteran Arrested For Fighting With Al-Qaeda In Syria

A U.S. Army veteran has been arrested and charged with conspiring with al-Qaeda to fight the Syrian regime, The Associated Press reports.

Eric Harroun of Phoenix was charged Thursday in federal court in northern Virginia with "conspiring to use a a weapon of mass destruction outside of the U.S.," an offense which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.

Harroun allegedly joined fighters with Jabhat al-Nusra — a highly effective rebel force deemed to be terrorists by the U.S. — in January and used rocket-propelled grenades in fighting(, which is apparently considered a weapon of mass destruction).

From the release:

The affidavit alleges that Harroun was trained to use an RPG by members of the terrorist organization ... Harroun allegedly participated in attacks led by the al-Nusrah Front and was part of an RPG team, for which he carried anti-personnel and anti-armor rockets.

AP notes that Harroun claimed credit for downing a Syrian helicopter on his Facebook page.

Here's a video featuring Harroun and a downed Syrian Army helicopter: