How Jake Bilardi tried to help recruit Australians to Islamic State

Teen terrorist Jake Bilardi offered to help aspiring Aussie jihadis join Islamic State. See his secret chat with one wannabe fighter.

Exclusive: Teen terrorist Jake Bilardi offered to help an aspiring Australian jihadi join Islamic State by connecting him with the recruiter who smuggled him into the war zone.

In a secret Twitter conversation, Bilardi also appeared to suggest to the Australian that they could launch an attack on home soil if they were unable to make it to the Middle East.

Several of Bilardi’s conversations with other Australians were revealed in the United States trial of Islamic State mastermind Mirsad Kandic, who recruited the 18-year-old and has now been convicted of serious terrorism charges including over his death.

Jake Bilardi offered to help an aspiring Australian jihadi.

The Melbourne teen appeared to suggest to the Australian wannabe jihadi that they could launch an attack on home soil.

Days before his suicide bombing in 2015, Bilardi exchanged a series of messages with an unnamed extremist who said they were “sad that im stuck in Australia”.

“I cant stand it here,” they told Bilardi.

The 18-year-old, who was in the Iraqi city of Ramadi, replied that he hoped Allah would “open the path for you” to join Islamic State.

Bilardi said: “Never forget as well that there’s always option #2 if you can’t leave, if you know what I mean ;).”

Jake Bilardi’s passport. Picture: Supplied

The wannabe jihadi replied: “Haha yeah i know … Best not to mention these things online.”

Bilardi then offered to put them “in contact with the brother that brought me here” – a reference to Kandic, who gave Bilardi detailed advice to make it to Syria in 2014, even arranging for an Islamic State fighter to meet him at Istanbul Airport in Turkey.

The unnamed extremist said they already knew how to make the journey but had “lots of stuff” to do beforehand.

“It’s just not good to speak online about this,” they said.

News Corp Australia has been unable to establish whether the unnamed Australian did end up fighting with the death cult in the Middle East.

They told Bilardi they hoped his suicide bombing would be “a success” and asked him if he was feeling nervous or excited about it.

“Bit of a mix of everything to be honest but mostly I’m excited, I’ve been waiting a long time,” Bilardi replied.

“It shouldn’t be too far away now.”

In another series of messages, shared with the jury in Kandic’s New York trial, Bilardi tried to arrange to meet up with another Islamic State recruit from Melbourne who was in Iraq.

The unnamed fighter said he had also attended the Hume Islamic Youth Centre, which was frequented by Bilardi and several other extremists who went to fight in the Middle East and plotted terror attacks at home.

Originally published as How Jake Bilardi tried to help recruit Australians to Islamic State