Or, perhaps, a distraught man?
Reader comment on item: The California Suicide Bomber[: Ra'ed Mansour al-Banna]

Submitted by G. Lobe (Canada), Apr 4, 2005 at 18:58

Dear Daniel,

After reading your article, I find it hard to believe that this young man was an Islamist and radical all those years while "hiding his real intentions". Where is the evidence that this guy had any Islamist tendency before returning to his native Jordan?

Your account of the story actually shows a much more plausible explanation. A young Arab who has been living in the states and denied visa upon his return, with his future in peril and in frustration and anger, easily recruited by radical groups to carry out an attack against Americans. Why is this scenario less likely than the above? Aren't Islamist groups known for recruiting among disaffectionate young men in Islamic communities everywhere?

True, there were terrorists in the past who were able to hide their intentions for short periods of time, such as Atta and his group during the couple of months they were living in the US for their evil mission. But they were islamists and well known radicals before coming to the US and while living in Germany. Is there any evidence that this Banna guy was ever an Islamist or in association with them before 2003 when he went to Jordan?

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