US charges woman with Daesh-inspired plot to blow up New York State Capitol

On Thursday, US authorities indicted Jessica Bowie, 35, with a terrorism offense after she allegedly expressed a desire to destroy the New York State Capitol buildings to an FBI informant, according to court documents. The New York State Capitol, situated in Albany close to the Canadian border, serves as the state's legislative hub, housing both houses of the state legislature.

Bowie had converted to Islam and emerged as a vocal supporter of the Islamic State group online, disseminating anti-American sentiments, including support for the 2001 September 11 attacks. She allegedly sought guidance from an FBI informant on how to manufacture explosives and discussed her plan to have picnics near the capital to study security measures.

She also claimed to have purchased anarchist literature from a social justice center, which she believed could provide valuable insights. Bowie expressed her intention to destroy as much of the Capitol building as possible, including senators during meetings and important documents. She contemplated posing as a food delivery driver to access the facility, plant a bomb, and then flee to Syria.

Upon her arrest on August 19, she allegedly told FBI agents, "There's no helping me, you guys know enough."