Saudi Jihadis Return Disappointed From

Saudi Jihadis Return Disappointed

From al-Hayat of May 14 via BBC World Monitoring:

‘ Al-Hayat has learnt that two Saudi brothers who went to Iraq across the Syrian border for “jihad” against the occupation returned without taking part in any fighting after a bitter experience.

Sources told Al-Hayat that the two young men followed news of the resistance against the occupation since the former Iraqi regime’s downfall and the Al-Fallujah confrontation inflamed their zeal and they decided to go to Iraq. Their relatives intervened to persuade them not to carry out what they intended until everyone became convinced they would not go. But, according to the sources, the two brothers sneaked into Iraq and were able to contact a network which receives the fighters on the Iraqi-Syrian border. The two met a few days later the fighters’ “emir” [commander] at the border and asked him to take them to Al-Fallujah. But he refused, claiming that the road was difficult and full of dangers.

The sources added: “The group’s emir then confronted them with the truth, which the two young men considered very bitter because it came as a surprise. He told them: We have a number of booby-trapped cars ready for suicide bombings. The brothers were almost thunderstruck by the shock and told him: You want us to end our life in a suicide operation as soon as we set foot in Iraq! He answered indifferently: This is what we have now if you like it; if not, look for somebody else! They decided at that moment to return to their country and totally dismissed the idea of taking part in what they thought to be resistance in Iraq.” ‘