• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Release A050918h

Captured suicide bomber forced into mosque by terrorists

Multi-National Force-Iraq

BAGHDAD, Iraq – The interrogation of a suicide bomber Sept. 16 revealed to Coalition forces that terrorists allegedly kidnapped, drugged, abused and forced the bomber to enter a mosque with the purpose of killing innocent Iraqi citizens during religious services.

The suspected Saudi expatriate and Iraqi citizen said he was kidnapped from a field near his home by terrorists in early September. The bomber stated he was blindfolded, tied up and placed in the trunk of a vehicle and transported through a series of safe houses before he was forced into the suicide bombing.

“The U.S. medical examination of the bomber is consistent with his story and characterization of his treatment,” said Col. Billy J. Buckner, spokesman for the Multi-National Corps.

The suicide bomber was transported by his captors to a mosque in Tuz, where he was told he would become a good Muslim and go to heaven if he carried out the task. The man said he did not want to enter the mosque before terrorists forced him to. The man then seized the opportunity to run out of the mosque while his captors were not paying attention. The man was apprehended by Iraqi police just moments after another suicide bomber detonated a bomb outside another mosque in the city.

“The kidnapping of this man further demonstrates the desperateness of AMZ and his ability to execute his strategy,” said Buckner. “He knows he can’t win against Iraqi security and Coalition forces and is therefore willing to use innocent Iraqi citizens to further his cause to disrupt the election process and prevent a free and democratic Iraq.”

-30-

Contact Multi-National Corps - Iraq by e-mail at mnci-pao-victorymainjoc@iraq.centcom.mil for more information on this release. Attached, below, are the still images associated with this release. There is a video clip associated with this information which can be obtained by contacting the CPIC Press Desk via e-mail at cpicpressdesk@iraq.centcom.mil. The video clip shows the subsequent controlled detonation of the explosive vest.