Moroccans recruited as Iraq suicide bombers

"About two dozen men from Tetouan [in Morocco] and nearby towns in the Rif Mountains have traveled to Iraq in the past 18 months to volunteer as fighters or suicide bombers, according to local residents and officials. Moroccan authorities said the men were recruited by international terrorist networks affiliated with al-Qaeda.
. . . Candidates are subjected to psychological assessments from a distance to determine if they are really willing to die for the cause. Background checks are run to ensure that they are not informers, officials said. Those who make the final cut are assigned to 'handlers,' who arrange the trip to Iraq.
. . . 'The recruiters for al-Qaeda are some of the most important players right now in that organization,' [terrorism expert Nick] Pratt said. 'They have a profile, and they know what they're looking for.'
. . . [Parliament member Mustapha Khalfi said] as long as the U.S. military remains in Iraq, many Moroccans will feel duty-bound to help the resistance.
'There's a long tradition in the Muslim world of solidarity against occupation,' he said.

source
Whitlock, Craig. (The Washington Post). Terrorist Networks Lure Young Moroccans to War in Far-Off Iraq. February 20, 2007.

posted: wednesday, february 21, 2007, 6:54 PM ET
update: wednesday, february 21, 2007, 6:55 PM ET

tags: iraq suicide bomber al qaeda morocco