British Muslims, Guardian Oct. 30
Posted on 11/01/2001 3:35:28 PM PST by Pokey78
DISILLUSIONED with life on the front line, a British deserter from the Taleban is warning other young Muslims that if they go to Afghanistan seeking glory or martyrdom they will only find themselves at the mercy of “lunatics and liars”. Abu Mindar, 26, from London’s East End, considers himself lucky to have survived his baptism of fire this week with a crew of raw recruits of many nationalities, none of whom had ever fired a shot in anger. “Maybe I was naive but I was told there would be proper training and I would be joining an organised military unit and it was just chaos,” he said. The impression being given by militant Muslim groups is that there is a slick and successful recruiting drive in British cities after which volunteers are shepherded by its emissaries to Pakistan and on to training camps run by the Taleban. The reality, says Abu Mindar, is different. After days of delay, discomfort and lies he was driven into the desert with about 25 others, somewhere near Kabul, and handed a Kalishnikov by the “commander” of his group who gestured for him to fire at an enemy he could not see through the swirling dust. “There were other Taleban around and suddenly everyone started firing,” Abu Mindar said on the telephone from Pakistan. He laughed nervously as he described how, as he was not used to handling a gun, the ricochet nearly tore the AK47 from his grasp. “It arced up in the air, took off the top of a tree and nearly decapitated some of the others in our group. Before I knew it the other side — whoever they were — started firing back and there was nowhere much to take cover. Everyone was shouting, some got shot, I didn’t know what to do.” Abu Mindar is not sure how many casualties his group suffered in the 20-minute gunfight but he was taken back to their makeshift barracks sharing a four-wheel-drive truck with three wounded. “Some of the others were shouting victory slogans but we hadn’t done anything except get ourselves shot,” he said. “It wasn’t the danger I minded because I expected shooting. It was the recklessness of the Taleban and their complete disregard for the lives of those fighting for them.” He is reluctant to say much about himself or to state his present whereabouts, except to admit that he is in Pakistan, as he is afraid of being punished by the Taleban if he is found there or jailed if he returns to East London after ministers threatened that British Muslim volunteers could face charges of treason. Abu Mindar is the name by which he is
I think he means recoil.
An AK-47 flying through the air shot off the top of a tree? I want to see the video.
Before I knew it the other side — whoever they were — started firing back...
Whoever they were? He didn't know? And they fired back, how odd.
The only one dumber than this guy is the reporter who made it up, oops reported it.
No ...., Sherlock. Theyare recruiting useful idiots from all over the world to come and do the dying for them. Thsi is what they do. They get some to martyr themselves, and some to stand out in the hills and dodge B-52, but the common thread is that they always stay safely hideen while others do the dying.
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