The highly educated Arab militant, being an university graduate and fluent in French and Italian, described how his skills in computers and his
fluency of two European languages are highly priced assets by many radical Muslim cells. As he removed aerial photographs from a wall, mentioning
that he obtained them by hacking into a US military database in Iraq, and stacks of laptops which were taken from dead American vehicles to check for
intelligence, he continued his story. In part the story he was relating was intriguing and shocking, as he mentioned from betrayals by members of the
militant groups and how they chose the hostages they would take and execute.
Confession of Iraqi militant who filmed western hostage's death
A university graduate aged 27 and fluent in French and Italian, he came to Iraq from another Arab country -- he refused to say which -- to
fight. He arrived before the war and left after the fall of Baghdad, returning several months later to join the resistance.
Until September 11, he said, he had been a normal student who drank alcohol and enjoyed women. He had even made a little money from selling drugs.
Then he heard an interview with Usama Bin Ladin and joined the jihad.
"Would you like to know what happened to him?" the Sunni militant asked with a polite smile. "I filmed him as he was executed."
The smile vanished as the fighter, who gave his name as Abu Yussuf, began his story of mayhem and murder with the latest twist, an act of treachery by
a member of the group that killed Quattrocchi.
Please visit the link provided for the complete story.
Abu Yussuf parents opposed his involvement in jihad as it is mentioned in the interview. This interview can show us that many of these insurgents,
had lived regular lives but decided to leave that life of complacency, for a life of violence. This is not probably the case for all radical
militants, but this interview can show us that many of these people have chosen this life, that it was not imposed on them.
(The original interview can be obtained at the following link. You have to be a subscriber to the London Times Online, but it is a free
subscription.
www.timesonline.co.uk...)
[edit on 29-6-2004 by Muaddib]
[edit on 29-6-2004 by Banshee]
[edit on 29-6-2004 by Muaddib]