Alleged American Jihadists Questioned by Pakistanis
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12, 2009— -- They left their Virginia homes allegedly looking for jihad, but now the five Americans are in a prison in Lahore, Pakistan, being questioned by officials about their mission.
In an interrogation report, Pakistani intelligence officials say the men were "of the opinion that a Jihad must be waged against the infidels."
The alleged aspiring jihadists, all college students, left their suburban Virginia homes and flew to Pakistan, where they were trying to connect with a militant network that would facilitate their travel to Afghanistan. There, according to the Pakistani interrogation report, they hoped to join the insurgency against U.S. forces.
The men named in the report are Waqar Hussain Khan, Ahmed Minni, Ramy Zamzam, Aman Yemer and Umar Farooq. All are American citizens, and all but Farooq and Zamzam were born in the United States. The youngest, Yemer, turned 18 in May, while the rest are in their early 20s.
The men were apparently turned away by at least one group that questioned their credibility, noting that they showed up in Western clothes and spoke no regional languages.
But other Americans have permeated the ranks of al Qaeda and other terrorist networks.
The most infamous homegrown terrorist is Adam Gadahn, a California native who is now believed to be a high ranking commander with al Qaeda and is used as an international spokesman.
