Ryan G. Anderson
Encyclopedia
Ryan Gibson Anderson is a former Washington State National Guardsman convicted by court-martial on September 3, 2004 on five counts of attempting to provide aid to the terrorist network al-Qaeda. He is currently serving a life sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas with the eligibility of parole.
Anderson was a tank crewman and held the rank of Specialist (E-4)
. He was assigned to the 81st Armored Brigade unit and was preparing for deployment to Iraq when he was arrested in a joint FBI and INSCOM sting operation
on February 12, 2004. At the time of the court-martial verdict, the jury of nine commissioned officers also reduced Anderson’s rank to private and gave him a dishonorable discharge.
. He attended Cascade High School
. He then attended Washington State University
and majored in History. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in History in 2002. He was married on April 5, 2004 to Erin Wheatley (Anderson). They met while both attending Washington State University. Erin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, also in 2002. She then moved to Kansas to be closer to her incarcerated husband, attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2007 to 2009 and graduated with a Masters in Counseling and Guidance. She was recently admitted to Washburn University Graduate School of Social Work.
In 1999, Anderson converted to Islam
and adopted the name Amir Abdul Rashid. Prior to his capture, Anderson was seen on a surveillance
tape, when he said the following: "I wish to desert from the U.S. Army. I wish to defect from the United States. I wish to join al-Qaeda, train its members and conduct terrorist
attacks."
, United States Justice Department, and FBI. They monitored his online activities, such as logging onto extremist Internet chat room
s, trying to get in touch with al-Qaeda operatives, and offering the organization information on United States
military capabilities and weaponry. Shortly before his arrest, Anderson was recorded on video surveillance
providing tactical information on methods of killing US troops and destroying tank
s to undercover agents posing as al-Qaeda operatives. They tapped his and his wife's cell phones, pulled text messages and followed both him and his wife in their daily lives.
Shannen Rossmiller
, a former municipal judge in Conrad, Montana
and amateur Cyber spy
, is credited with first encountering Anderson in an online Islamist chatroom. In posts, Anderson offered assistance in gathering information and in killing U.S. soldiers. After ascertaining that Anderson was in the U.S. military, Rossmiller contacted the FBI who set up the sting operation with the Department of Justice and the military.
found Anderson guilty of five counts of attempting to aid and provide intelligence to the enemy. In his defense, Anderson's lawyers made an insanity plea, offering medical testimony that he has bipolar disorder
and Asperger syndrome
. They also claimed that he used role-playing
to create structure in his life, therefore inducing him into the entrapment
created by the authorities. He was given a demotion
to the rank of private
, a dishonorable discharge, and sentenced to a life sentence
, with the possibility of parole
.
Pfc. Scott Specht, a witness for the prosecution, testified that Anderson once told him that he had joined the Army so he could "go to the motherland and help liberate my Muslim brothers." "I was taken back by his statement. I was somewhat startled by it," said Specht, who trained with Anderson at boot camp at Fort Knox in January 2003. "I decided it was probably best that I kept my distance."
Anderson was a tank crewman and held the rank of Specialist (E-4)
Specialist (rank)
Specialist is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army, just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal. Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers...
. He was assigned to the 81st Armored Brigade unit and was preparing for deployment to Iraq when he was arrested in a joint FBI and INSCOM sting operation
Sting operation
In law enforcement, a sting operation is a deceptive operation designed to catch a person committing a crime. A typical sting will have a law-enforcement officer or cooperative member of the public play a role as criminal partner or potential victim and go along with a suspect's actions to gather...
on February 12, 2004. At the time of the court-martial verdict, the jury of nine commissioned officers also reduced Anderson’s rank to private and gave him a dishonorable discharge.
Background
Anderson was born and raised in Everett, WashingtonEverett, Washington
Everett is the county seat of and the largest city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Named for Everett Colby, son of founder Charles L. Colby, it lies north of Seattle. The city had a total population of 103,019 at the 2010 census, making it the 6th largest in the state and...
. He attended Cascade High School
Cascade High School (Everett, Washington)
Cascade High School is a secondary school located in Everett, Washington, United States which caters to grades 9–12 and has an annual enrollment of approximately 1,933 students. Students attending Cascade High School live primarily within the city of Everett, but some live in Mill Creek,...
. He then attended Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
and majored in History. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in History in 2002. He was married on April 5, 2004 to Erin Wheatley (Anderson). They met while both attending Washington State University. Erin graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, also in 2002. She then moved to Kansas to be closer to her incarcerated husband, attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City from 2007 to 2009 and graduated with a Masters in Counseling and Guidance. She was recently admitted to Washburn University Graduate School of Social Work.
In 1999, Anderson converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and adopted the name Amir Abdul Rashid. Prior to his capture, Anderson was seen on a surveillance
Surveillance
Surveillance is the monitoring of the behavior, activities, or other changing information, usually of people. It is sometimes done in a surreptitious manner...
tape, when he said the following: "I wish to desert from the U.S. Army. I wish to defect from the United States. I wish to join al-Qaeda, train its members and conduct terrorist
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
attacks."
Arrest
He was arrested 12 February 2004 after a joint investigation by the United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
, United States Justice Department, and FBI. They monitored his online activities, such as logging onto extremist Internet chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
s, trying to get in touch with al-Qaeda operatives, and offering the organization information on United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
military capabilities and weaponry. Shortly before his arrest, Anderson was recorded on video surveillance
Closed-circuit television
Closed-circuit television is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors....
providing tactical information on methods of killing US troops and destroying tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s to undercover agents posing as al-Qaeda operatives. They tapped his and his wife's cell phones, pulled text messages and followed both him and his wife in their daily lives.
Shannen Rossmiller
Shannen Rossmiller
Shannen Rossmiller, , is an American lecturer and instructor in cyber counter-intelligence forensics and a former Montana municipal court judge who has had a controversial role as a vigilante online terrorist-hunter, and who was once part of the 7Seas group.A former high school cheerleader,...
, a former municipal judge in Conrad, Montana
Conrad, Montana
Conrad is a city in and the county seat of Pondera County, Montana, United States. The population was 2,753 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Conrad is located at ....
and amateur Cyber spy
Cyber spying
Cyber spying or Cyber espionage is the act or practice of obtaining secrets without the permission of the holder of the information , from individuals, competitors, rivals, groups, governments and enemies for personal, economic, political or military advantage using illegal exploitation methods on...
, is credited with first encountering Anderson in an online Islamist chatroom. In posts, Anderson offered assistance in gathering information and in killing U.S. soldiers. After ascertaining that Anderson was in the U.S. military, Rossmiller contacted the FBI who set up the sting operation with the Department of Justice and the military.
Court-martial
On 2 September 2004, a military juryMilitary jury
A United States military jury serves a function similar to an American civilian jury, but with several notable differences...
found Anderson guilty of five counts of attempting to aid and provide intelligence to the enemy. In his defense, Anderson's lawyers made an insanity plea, offering medical testimony that he has bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
and Asperger syndrome
Asperger syndrome
Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...
. They also claimed that he used role-playing
Role-playing
Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role...
to create structure in his life, therefore inducing him into the entrapment
Entrapment
In criminal law, entrapment is conduct by a law enforcement agent inducing a person to commit an offense that the person would otherwise have been unlikely to commit. In many jurisdictions, entrapment is a possible defense against criminal liability...
created by the authorities. He was given a demotion
Demotion
A demotion is a reduction in an employee's rank or job title within the organizational hierarchy of a company, public service department, or other body. A demotion may also lead to the loss of other privileges associated with a more senior rank and/or a reduction in salary or benefits...
to the rank of private
Private (rank)
A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
, a dishonorable discharge, and sentenced to a life sentence
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, with the possibility of parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.
Pfc. Scott Specht, a witness for the prosecution, testified that Anderson once told him that he had joined the Army so he could "go to the motherland and help liberate my Muslim brothers." "I was taken back by his statement. I was somewhat startled by it," said Specht, who trained with Anderson at boot camp at Fort Knox in January 2003. "I decided it was probably best that I kept my distance."