A British Muslim, trained in a "terrorist training school" in Pakistan as a hijacker in preparation for the September 11 attacks, backed out at the last minute after gambling away thousands of pounds given to him by Al-Qaeda, a report said in London. The potential hijacker, a former waiter in a Manchester curry house was enlisted at a mosque in Oldham and "attended terrorist training school in Pakistan. But he had second thoughts about his suicide mission as he flew to America and surrendered to the police after gambling away thousands of pounds given to him by Al-Qaeda," The Sunday Times, claimed.
| Damn. I just blew coffee out my nose... |
Born in Britain, he grew up in his family's home village in Pakistan before returning to Oldham when he was 16. After sixth-form college, he worked at a restaurant but became addicted to gambling, running up debts of 15,000 pounds. He was approached at his local mosque by a recruiter who offered him money in return for carrying out "a job". He accepted, even when he realized what was involved. "If your life has no colour and... you can be a hero by dying, why not?" he said, according to the report.
| Because you're a deader when the job's done? |
"I think there are a lot of frustrated Muslim youths in Britain who feel the same way." He traveled to Lahore, where he was taught how to carry out a hijacking and familiarized with the inside of a Boeing cockpit. "I knew they wanted me to do some kind of operation in which I would die but my life was such a mess that in my mind I was already dead," he said.
| I hope he's providing lots of details on where in Lahore, who, where, what... |
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