UNITED STATES V. MOHAMUD 9 radical thinking” and was a “pretty manipula[ble], conflicted kid.” C. The FBI’s First Direct Contacts with Mohamud In November 2009, a contractor working undercover for the FBI—using the alias “Bill Smith”—emailed Mohamud at his truthbespoken account. Pretending to be an isolated Muslim in eastern Idaho, the contractor asked Mohamud for advice on how to get more involved in “the fight” for the Islamic community, and he stated that he wanted “to help rid the occupiers from [P]alestine.” Although Mohamud gave some general advice to move to a community with more Muslims, take care when talking about such issues online, and look out for “spies,” he never openly encouraged the contractor to commit acts of violence. By May 2010, their email communications had ended. Mohamud planned to work in Alaska with his college roommate during the summer of 2010. But when his parents brought him to the Portland airport, he was not permitted to fly to Alaska. Instead, FBI agents met with Mohamud and his parents at the airport and questioned them. When asked, Mohamud denied having a ticket or visa to travel to Yemen, or having any interest in jihadi websites. When asked if he knew anyone in Yemen, he said “Amr,” but provided little detail. Mohamud made no mention of his Jihad Recollections articles or similar writings. When Mohamud returned home, he drafted a “To do list” which included “Find a job,” “Work till September,” get help from his parents for food and rent, and “you might have to take less classes” at Oregon State.