never mentioned that the plan was to construct an atomic weapon to use against the lifeline that supported the economies of the West. Consequently, he felt he was safe.
He knew his purpose in life was to carry out this plan against the West. As a native-born Saudi, he had grown up in the small town of Ayun in central Saudi Arabia, where he attended the local religious school. In his own mind he never questioned the religious leaders who taught them daily about the evils of the Westerners and gave examples from the Koran to show the students it was their duty to wipe these infidels off the face of the earth.
Now in his late thirties, he had risen to command of his cell. He had spent years preparing for this and he had never wavered in his mental and physical dedication to the tenets of the Wahhabi form of radical Islamic fundamentalism. He believed it with his whole heart and mind. The only thing he wanted was to free his country from American influence and return it to the true path of Islam. The best way to do this was to attack the infidels who had invaded their God-given lands. Al-Hanbali prided himself on being a true and dedicated jihadist, a servant of the will of Allah.
Al-Hanbali remembered, with photographic clarity, returning home after attending Moscow State University where he studied international relations and economics. His father funded the education with his trading business, asserting that Tewfik had to have the academic training to take over the business for the family at the appropriate time. While in Russia, he had learned to speak English and had achieved perfection in the Russian language. The most intriguing side effect of his education in Moscow was the contempt he developed for the Westerners’ attitude toward sex. These infidels had no respect for their bodies, how they used them, and the clothing they put upon them. They could not be anything other than the enemies of God—as the atheist Soviets had openly declared.
In the spring of 1999, he returned to Saudi Arabia to find the Americans using his homeland to attack other Muslim countries. Al-Hanbali believed from his study of the Koran that this was a sacrilege, an insult to Islam. The cleansing of the Americans from the Homeland of the Prophet overshadowed everything else in his life and became his primary objective. He would do something to regain Allah’s favor for his country.
He remembered with great satisfaction his first attempt to assault these unbelievers, these infidels, with his attack on a small military complex at Dhahran. That was years ago and much had transpired since then in his efforts to rid the Americans from his country, but right now he needed to refocus on the present. Al-Hanbali believed that this time he knew how to permanently hurt the Americans on a grander scale and in their most vulnerable place.
He stood up, his white robes flowing to the floor and his red-checkered khafiyya covering his black hair, and slowly walked over to the window and looked out. The overhanging terrace cast a shadow over Al-Hanbali’s dark features, but his garments glistened as the sun fell on them, the muted sunlight emphasizing the pure black of the agal over his head cover. He again noted that Baghdad was not a beautiful city. It was dusty, drab and smelly during the day and did not have the elegance and grace of the cities in Saudi Arabia.
Tomorrow, his cell would leave Baghdad; he would be thankful to get away from this hellhole. While he stood and looked out, he knew that he would have to prepare for his trip to Moscow.
He took a few minutes to concentrate on Yuri and forget Baghdad. At their last meeting, the Russian had explained the work he was doing. Al-Hanbali had heard from him over the years, and it sounded as if he was not in a good financial situation. That fact could prove to be a key factor. Yuri would likely resist any attempt to get him to leave Russia and travel to Saudi, but money had a way of changing minds—at
He knew his purpose in life was to carry out this plan against the West. As a native-born Saudi, he had grown up in the small town of Ayun in central Saudi Arabia, where he attended the local religious school. In his own mind he never questioned the religious leaders who taught them daily about the evils of the Westerners and gave examples from the Koran to show the students it was their duty to wipe these infidels off the face of the earth.
Now in his late thirties, he had risen to command of his cell. He had spent years preparing for this and he had never wavered in his mental and physical dedication to the tenets of the Wahhabi form of radical Islamic fundamentalism. He believed it with his whole heart and mind. The only thing he wanted was to free his country from American influence and return it to the true path of Islam. The best way to do this was to attack the infidels who had invaded their God-given lands. Al-Hanbali prided himself on being a true and dedicated jihadist, a servant of the will of Allah.
Al-Hanbali remembered, with photographic clarity, returning home after attending Moscow State University where he studied international relations and economics. His father funded the education with his trading business, asserting that Tewfik had to have the academic training to take over the business for the family at the appropriate time. While in Russia, he had learned to speak English and had achieved perfection in the Russian language. The most intriguing side effect of his education in Moscow was the contempt he developed for the Westerners’ attitude toward sex. These infidels had no respect for their bodies, how they used them, and the clothing they put upon them. They could not be anything other than the enemies of God—as the atheist Soviets had openly declared.
In the spring of 1999, he returned to Saudi Arabia to find the Americans using his homeland to attack other Muslim countries. Al-Hanbali believed from his study of the Koran that this was a sacrilege, an insult to Islam. The cleansing of the Americans from the Homeland of the Prophet overshadowed everything else in his life and became his primary objective. He would do something to regain Allah’s favor for his country.
He remembered with great satisfaction his first attempt to assault these unbelievers, these infidels, with his attack on a small military complex at Dhahran. That was years ago and much had transpired since then in his efforts to rid the Americans from his country, but right now he needed to refocus on the present. Al-Hanbali believed that this time he knew how to permanently hurt the Americans on a grander scale and in their most vulnerable place.
He stood up, his white robes flowing to the floor and his red-checkered khafiyya covering his black hair, and slowly walked over to the window and looked out. The overhanging terrace cast a shadow over Al-Hanbali’s dark features, but his garments glistened as the sun fell on them, the muted sunlight emphasizing the pure black of the agal over his head cover. He again noted that Baghdad was not a beautiful city. It was dusty, drab and smelly during the day and did not have the elegance and grace of the cities in Saudi Arabia.
Tomorrow, his cell would leave Baghdad; he would be thankful to get away from this hellhole. While he stood and looked out, he knew that he would have to prepare for his trip to Moscow.
He took a few minutes to concentrate on Yuri and forget Baghdad. At their last meeting, the Russian had explained the work he was doing. Al-Hanbali had heard from him over the years, and it sounded as if he was not in a good financial situation. That fact could prove to be a key factor. Yuri would likely resist any attempt to get him to leave Russia and travel to Saudi, but money had a way of changing minds—at
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