Saudi Otaibi Surrendered After Being Rejected by AQ Afghanistan
This guy wasn’t in Yemen but its interesting that AQ is rejecting new recruits in Afghanistan. Fear of spies perhaps, shortage of funds? Those permitted to join were tasked with photography, highlighting the importance of the media war and propaganda. He transited Iran as many before. Arab News:
RIYADH: It was his disenchantment with the real goals of Al-Qaeda and differences with its commanders that made Fawwaz Al-Humaidi Al-Otaibi take the decision to turn himself in, Al-Watan daily reported on Thursday.
Fawwaz, who is on the Interior Ministry’s list of 85 wanted militants issued in February, had surrendered to authorities on his own choice, according to a statement of the Interior Ministry on Wednesday….
Fawwaz had left the Kingdom with “the intention of fighting in the way of God after witnessing the ways of the occupying American soldiers,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
He went to Iran from the United Arab Emirates and on to Pakistan “where Al-Qaeda members facilitated his entry to Waziristan in the north west of Pakistan bordering with Afghanistan.”
“We sneaked across the borders to Afghanistan but Al-Qaeda commanders told us that they did not need Arab or non-Arab fighters,” he said. “We asked Al-Qaeda members why don’t they allow us to join the fight as we have come prepared for that. They said they adopted a sort of guerrilla warfare and wanted the war to drag on to make matters extremely difficult for the Americans.”
He added that although many young militants head for Afghanistan, only a few are allowed to join the Al-Qaeda fighters.
“Those few are assigned the duty of photographing the operations to be used for the organization’s propaganda activities,” he said….
Meanwhile relatives of another man in the wanted list, Yousuf Mohammed Mubarak Al-Jubairi Al-Shahri, said their efforts to persuade a relative to return to the country and surrender failed, according to Al-Madinah daily.
“I received a telephone call from my son Yousuf, now living in Yemen, on Aug. 20. He talked with me for 15 minutes, but he refused my advice to surrender despite my reminder to him of Prince Muhammad bin Naif’s lenient approach toward those who surrender,” said Col. Muhammad bin Mubarak Al-Jubairi (Ret.).
