Opening Statements Given in Minnesota ISIS Trial

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal prosecutor says three Minnesota men accused of plotting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group were deeply committed to their cause and undeterred by their failures.

Defense attorneys contended Wednesday that their clients were just talkers and did not plot to carry out killings abroad.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Winter told jurors as the trial began that the evidence will show how patient and determined the three defendants were to fight for the extremist group.

But Minnesota Public Radio News reports defense attorney Bruce Nestor said his client, 22-year-old Abdirahman Yasin Daud, was a talker, not a doer, who did not have "murder on his mind" when he sought out the Islamic State group.