A Kenyan has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms in a U.S. federal prison.
This was after being convicted of plotting a “9/11-style” terrorist attack targeting Atlanta’s tallest building.
According to the prosecutors, the man planned to hijack a commercial passenger aircraft and crash it into the Bank of America Plaza.
Investigators told the court that the plot was actively in motion, with detailed research conducted on airline operations, security procedures, and potential targets in the city.
They also told the court that the suspect had joined the al-Shabaab militant group in Somalia in 2015 and spent about a year undergoing military training, including the use of firearms and explosives.
They further stated that he had completed nearly all the requirements needed to fly for a major airline.
The suspect was therefore convicted on six terrorism-related charges, including providing material support to a foreign terrorist organisation, aircraft piracy, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals.
