Al qaeda

Samantha Villegas Fohrweisser | A00999020
Miss Joy Vogel | English Class 12:00
Weekly Magazine

AL QAEDA
For this time, I read an article from News Week that talk about the terrorist group of Al Qaeda. Honestly was really interesting since the beginning. In this article the author, starts to tell the story of Hafiz Hanif- this is not the real name, but the one he asks to use on the article-a young Afghan, since he was little he dreamed to be part of Osama Bin Laden’s terrorist crew “Al Qaeda”. In Afghanistan is really common to see young people be influenced by those crews.
Hanif wanted to live and fight for his country, against the American army; and he talked about a confrontation that they had with missiles, when he was under the 15; March 16 he was “under a mission” with therest of his group, they stopped outside a walled compound and Hanif was supposed to go for some supplies, in Afghanistan is considered rude if he stays there waiting, he just knocked and then started to go back with his group, but before he finally came there, one of the cars –they were using 2 cars- exploded and just after that the other one did the same, that happened because of the missiles, aspecial kind of missiles that actually don’t make any sound before the impact. Because of that later on they had to hide from those missiles.
Also Hanif talks about one of the greatest tragedies of the CIA, when seven agents die in a suicide bomb, he says that he actually knew the person who did it, a double agent named Humam Khalil Abu-Mulal al-Balawi, Hanif met him on the training place calledKhisora in South Waziristan. He said that Balawi was a really nice guy, who always joked, really funny. He was in the Al Qaeda crew because he wanted to help his country.
In Khisora also says that in that place he met a lot of people not only from Afghanistan also from Turkey, Germany, Chechnya, Arabs, etc, etc. In that place they train young people specially to do suicide bombs, bombs, fightone-on-one with a knife, to use a AK-47, how to not be nervous before detonate a suicide bomb, Hanif said proudly that he made on bomb by himself and also says that every day was harder and harder, really demanding for them.
But he got even more excited with the pass of the time, because he always thought he was closer to finally make his dream come true. But he also said that was kind of surprisedthat some people of the training camp didn’t look over the 12, he says that before this never happened but after the death of the Director of the camp on a fight, the second important started to bring or let young kids to go into the terrorist crew Al Qaeda.
According to the article, the phrase “They preferred kids with smart minds who could follow orders, read maps and stay calm and not blowthemselves up far away from the target” (News Week, page 28)
Hanif says why they wanted young people, was easier and more effective.
Almost at the end of the article Hanif says that he went to visit his parents he was 15 and his parents were really worried, but he told them that he wasn’t happy at her house, his heart was with the cause, to save Afghanistan from the Americans.
Even though theytried to persuade him he came back, with his friends. After that the article says: “The boy wrote a last will and testament, like all Qaeda suicide bombers, and it reminds on his computer; addressed to all of his make kinsmen. He urges them to join the jihad –the name that the warriors use, but in a low rank like soldiers-.” “So I will see you, my beloved brothers, in the company of virgins withme” (News Week, page 31)
The document was dated Dec 21, 2009, just as he was turning 16.
Opinion:
When I read the article I couldn’t stop to read it all, I’m really surprised that young Afghans join Al Qaeda’s crew. We can see also that their sense of nationality and proud of the country is really amazing, the only motivation of nationalism make them want to fight for their country and...