Oi...
Here we go again...
Yes, he was friggin Al Qaeda.
I doubt he was Al Qeada and I also doubt he was a true believer. I think he was more of a wannabe jihadi.
HOWEVER, that doesn’t make him any less a terrorist working in the name of allah. Too many of the sudden jihad syndrome cases slip under the terrorism radar based on the fact that they aren’t part of any known terror group.