Beautiful snakes: how al-Qaeda ruined the lives of its recruits

By Mohammed al-Qaisi in Baghdad
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-05-28

[Ahmad al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images] al-Qaeda not only kills innocent people, it also destroys the lives of its members.

It all began when al-Qaeda recruiters approached Fallujah resident Sobhi Abd and asked him to join their organization in Iraq.

"They told me they wanted to kick the United States out of Iraq, liberate the country, and establish an Islamic regime that would provide a happy life for Iraqis. They claimed that they were concerned about Iraqi lives," he said.

Abd was a member of the group for several years. He made improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and bombs that killed scores of Iraqi civilians and security forces.

The rosy picture the recruiters painted would soon turn out to be the stuff of nightmares.

"It soon became clear that these were mere lies," Abd said. "I only saw heads and body parts of Iraqis blown away by explosions. The terrorists were very far from Islam. And terrorism only brought me anxiety, regret, and insomnia. I got nothing but isolation from society."

In 2005, he was arrested and charged with carrying out terrorist acts and providing assistance to al-Qaeda. He served 5 years in prison, and was released several months ago on good conduct.

He is now writing a book that he says will be an important reference for young people who, for one reason or another, are thinking about joining al-Qaeda.

"I am trying to atone for my mistake and for what I did through my work with al-Qaeda in any way possible," Abd said.

Abd will title his book "Beautiful Snakes." He said the title came to him because terrorists use religion and beautiful patriotic slogans to carry out their criminal schemes.

"The book will be about the brutality of terrorism. It will show young people how committing terrorist acts invariably leads to prison, death, and ostracization by society," he added.

Abd is also trying to set up a civil society organization that brings together "those who repented and regretted their acts with al-Qaeda." He plans to hold conferences and seminars to warn against the goals of al-Qaeda, its tactics, and how it controls young minds.

Hundreds like Abd are today being arrested or killed by Iraqi security forces. A campaign that began two years ago led to the killing and capture of many al-Qaeda members, including top leaders such as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, leader of al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq, and his aide Abu Ayyub al-Masri. The two were killed in a military operation by Iraqi security forces last month.

"We are determined to defeat all the terrorists and to deal the severest blows to them," said Baghdad Operations Command spokesperson Gen. Qassim Atta. "We will not give them the chance to rebuild their terrorist organization and to threaten the security of our country. We will be prepared for them wherever they go."

When al-Qaeda named a new leader on May 16th, Iraqi security forces predicted that his days would be numbered.

"The military operation will continue to chase all the new leaders of al-Qaeda and their fate will be like that of their predecessors," Atta said.

In conjunction with the security campaign, and to give a new chance to repentant terrorists like Abd, Iraqi Minister of Interior Jawad al-Bolani called several months ago on individuals wanted for crimes of terrorism and violence to turn themselves in to security agencies in return for good treatment and fair trials. Since that time, scores of wanted individuals have turned themselves in.

"Most of those who turned themselves in are regretful and feel the enormity of their mistakes," said Diyala police chief Abdul Hussain al-Shemari. "In the upcoming stage, we will work on opening the door for them to hold seminars with young people in which they would talk about their harsh experience and warn them about working with [al-Qaeda]."

But leaving al-Qaeda is not always easy.

"Each time we wanted to run away from them, declare our regret and return to our homes, they would threaten to kill us by beheading us and hanging [our heads] on electricity posts as they did with many others," said Zuhair Ghaleb al-Ubaidi, a former member of an armed group.

Al-Ubaidi, who spent four years in Baghdad's Central Prison, wishes he avoided this trap. "I have no wish other than God to turn back time five years to avoid falling into the trap of al-Qaeda and terrorism," he said.

Al-Ubaidi was wounded during an armed confrontation with Iraqi forces and lost one of his legs as a result. "This proved to me that I was deceived. What did I get?"

He said he took a decision to leave al-Qaeda because "I realized that they were like the fire that feeds on those inside it. They became like monsters and turned away from the beautiful and patriotic slogans they had declared. It went as far as killing innocent civilians for no reason."

Al-Ubaidi said he is trying to atone for his mistake by advising Iraqi forces in Anbar province on how armed groups think, where they meet, and where they hide their weapons.

"I know the enormity of my mistake," al-Ubaidi added. "I have inflicted damage on our people and our country. I hope that my regret will be a motive to serve Iraq anew."

Issa Khalifa, 35, was released a few weeks ago after serving 5 years in prison for being a member of an armed group.

"I have lost everything: my wife, children, and my house because of working with them. I only reaped the hatred of people -- and their eyes are still full of anger," he said.

Khalifa is trying to rebuild his life. He said the best way is "to declare my regret and to give advice to the young people in my neighborhood about the danger of being deceived by the flashy slogans of terrorists."

In Iraqi dialect, he added, "Be careful, my brothers; do not give them a glass of water to drink, and do not even say hello to them. They do not deserve it."

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