| Submit your comments on this article |
| Iraq-Jordan |
| From London to Iraq - the latest recruits to the Mahdi army |
| 2004-08-11 |
| The two young men sitting cross-legged in a small room off the courtyard of the Imam Ali shrine looked like any of the fighters around them. Their beards were short and neat, their feet bare and their dress the simple dishdasha, the Arab robe. They were deferential to their militia commander and spoke idealistically of defeating the military might of America in Iraq's holy city of Najaf. But both were from London, the first Though the two men were born in Iraq - one in Najaf, the other in Baghdad - their families took them to England as children. They went to school and college in the capital, picked up strong London accents and British passports and finally returned to the country of their birth for the first time on Monday. Their sole aim: to fight a "jihad" with a ragtag Shia militia loyal to the young cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The Mahdi army and its allies have staged violent uprisings across south ern Iraq and are now battling the US and British armies and the Baghdad government. Neither would give his name, but the elder, a confident 23-year-old, used the nomme de guerre Abu Haqid (father of fury). He said he had studied English and worked in a supermarket. The younger, quieter man - his 21-year-old nephew -called himself Abu Turab (father of dust, the connotation of death). He had been studying to be a computer teacher. The pair had travelled secretly into Iraq in the past few days, via a "not legit" route, according to Abu Haqid. They had talked to others in London about coming out to fight. "Some said they would wait and see what happens to us," he said. "We told them 'our brothers are fighting down there, they are not eating well, they are not sleeping well, we have to be in the same place as them, the same position as them'." They had the support of their families, Abu Haqid added: "It is our religion and our families can't stop this thing. We all have a belief, me and my family, when it comes to jihad. We asked our families and they said yes. It is good to protect your country and be there with your brothers." |
| Posted by:tipper |
#14 remote man: I agree they're not. Though they should be (if they had an ounce of brains):their families took them to England as children. They went to school and college in the capital, picked up strong London accents and British passportsThey had freedom handed to them on a silver platter, and they happily piss it all away. I know the article says they were born in Iraq, but they act like closet Paleos. But then, Paleo isn't a nationality, it's a state of mind. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-08-11 18:02 |
| #13 "Neither would give his name, but the elder, a confident 23-year-old, used the nomme de guerre Abu Haqid (father of fury)... The younger, quieter man - his 21-year-old nephew -called himself Abu Turab (father of dust, the connotation of death)." Is it just me or do these names sound like they should be TM'd by Marvel Comics? "dishdasha, |
| Posted by: 2% 2004-08-11 18:00 |
| #12 On the bright side, at least Britain has figured out how to export instead of import. So long as they funnel these untrained Islamist rotters into one or another kill zone, its better than seeing Britain fall under Sharia law. But only barely. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2004-08-11 15:38 |
| #11 #9 Plus they never cash in their miles. Good deal all round |
| Posted by: Michael 2004-08-11 14:30 |
| #10 Whatever the other faults of our Iraqi plan, it has certainly succeeded as jihadi flypaper. |
| Posted by: dreadnought 2004-08-11 14:20 |
| #9 B, lemmings is right. At least they are helping the economy of the west, since it cost them money to travel to thier death, and saves us looking for them. |
| Posted by: plainslow 2004-08-11 13:46 |
| #8 Hey Barb, these guys aren't Brits. If they were they would be supporting the government of Britain, not fighting against it. |
| Posted by: remote man 2004-08-11 13:26 |
| #7 Raj - We did, back in WWII (sort of). At least a lot of the Brits felt all our troops plunked down on their island was an "invasion" of sorts. I believe they used to say something to the effect that the only thing wrong the Americans was they were "overpaid, oversexed, and over here." :-p (guess 2 out of 3 still apply!) I love the Brits (not including the assholes in this story), but I wish they would rise up and take their country back from the LLL. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-08-11 13:11 |
| #6 "They were wrong to come to our country." "That is terrorism, this is defending your country." Funny, I don't recall us invading Britain... |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-08-11 12:37 |
| #5 I'm very happy that these guys are being sent out to fight after a mere two weeks using an AK-47. They are sure to be killed, and get their 72 raisins. |
| Posted by: growler 2004-08-11 11:55 |
| #4 I donât know if you have been to Golders Green, itâs full of Jews. Maybe Abu should join the BNP ;) Move Abu back to 1938, hed fit in well with Oswald Mosely types. Your comment made me think of Danny Pearl and how he was so easily fooled because he read the social cues that "told him" he was among rational friendly people, when he was actually amongst killers Yeah, thats happened to Jews before in places were muslims were rarer than hens teeth. |
| Posted by: Liberalhawk 2004-08-11 10:57 |
| #3 Darwinâ¦lemmings..take your pick |
| Posted by: B 2004-08-11 10:34 |
| #2 tipper - You comment is another example of the fact that Moslems are not your friend - ever. You may be his friend, but never be so foolish as to think that it's mutual. It's all over the Qu'uran - we ignore this fact at our peril. Your comment made me think of Danny Pearl and how he was so easily fooled because he read the social cues that "told him" he was among rational friendly people, when he was actually amongst killers. We cannot rely upon our social training - assume the worst - the foes now include many who are well-versed in Western ways. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-08-11 10:33 |
| #1 The Times On Line also carries the story, but there is an annoying registration required. However the Times carries this extra bit of information the the Guardian censored, "The pair revealed a visceral antipathy to Jews, evincing an anti-Semitism that, Abu Hakid insisted, was borne out the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with their brother Arabs. âI donât know if you have been to Golders Green, itâs full of Jews. We had many chances to go there and kill people. I even had Jewish friends, I could easily have got them home and killed them. I might have got away with it, I might not. But we believe in fighting in the right place.â " |
| Posted by: tipper 2004-08-11 10:22 |