“They were Bidoon”: Sebastian Kohn, “Stateless in Kuwait: Who Are the Bidoon?,” Open Society Foundations, March 24, 2011, https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/voices/stateless-kuwait-who-are-bidoon; see also abstract of Marie Brokstad Lund-Johansen, “Fighting for Citizenship in Kuwait,” master’s thesis, University of Oslo, 2014, https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/43302.
charter school called Quintin Kynaston: Tim Ross, Robert Mendick, and Edward Malnick, “Ministers Order Inquiry into Jihadi John’s School,” Telegraph, February 28, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11442434/Ministers-order-inquiry-into-Jihadi-Johns-school.html; Nile Rice, “What Going to School with Jihadi John Taught Me About Radicalization,” Vice, March 17, 2015, http://www.vice.com/read/quintin-kynaston-jihadi-john-531.
“I had a job waiting for me and marriage to get started,” Emwazi wrote: “The Emwazi Emails: CAGE Releases Its Correspondences with Emwazi in Full,” CAGE, February 28, 2015, https://cage.ngo/uncategorized/emwazi-emails-cage-releases-its-correspondences-emwazi-full/.
forbidden by Britain’s Terrorism Act of 2006: Souad Mekhennet and Dexter Filkins, “British Law against Glorifying Terrorism Has Not Silenced Calls to Kill for Islam,” New York Times, August 1, 2006.
Ladbroke Grove: Colin Freeman, “Ladbroke Grove Connection—the Wealthy West London District that Bred Jihadi John,” Telegraph, February 15, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11438534/Ladbroke-Grove-connection-the-wealthy-west-London-district-that-bred-Jihadi-John.html. Robert Mendick, “Jihadi John: From Ordinary Schoolboy to World’s Most Wanted Man,” Telegraph, February 26, 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11438545/Jihadi-John-From-ordinary-schoolboy-to-worlds-most-wanted-man.html.
15: TERROR COMES HOME
In the train stations of Austria: Much of the account of the refugees in Vienna draws on reporting done by the author in collaboration with William Booth for the following article: Souad Mekhennet and William Booth, “Migrants Are Disguising Themselves as Syrians to Enter Europe,” Washington Post, September 23, 2015.
“Educationally, they are the flower of their country”: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, “Syrian Refugee Arrivals in Greece, April–September 2015,” https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/46542.
new refugees would fill a growing gap: Tina Bellon and Caroline Copley, “In Aging Germany, Refugees Seen as Tomorrow’s Skilled Workers,” Reuters, September 10, 2015.
a Shia commander named Ayyub al-Rubaie: “Abu Azrael: No Safe Place for ISIL in Iraq,” All Iraq News Agency (AIN), March 18, 2015.
“ISIS, this will be your fate”: Robert Verkaik, “‘We Will Cut You like Shawarma,’” MailOnline, August 28, 2015.
accused of atrocities and serious human rights violations: “Iraq: Possible War Crimes by Shia Militia,” Human Rights Watch, January 31, 2016, https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/01/31/iraq-possible-war-crimes-shia-militia.
Abdelhamid Abaaoud, one of the ringleaders: Much of the account of Abaaoud’s background and activities draws on reporting done by the author in collaboration with Anthony Faiola for the following articles: Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet, “‘He Is a Barbaric Man’—the Belgian Who May Be Behind the Paris Attacks,” Washington Post, November 16, 2015; and Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet, “The Islamic State Creates a New Type of Jihadist: Part Terrorist, Part Gangster,” Washington Post, December 20, 2015.
the influence of Saudi, Kuwaiti, and Qatari religious organizations: Bruce Riedel, “Saudi Arabia Is Part of the Problem and Part of the Solution to Global Jihad,” Brookings, November 20, 2015, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/markaz/2015/11/20/saudi-arabia-is-part-of-the-problem-and-part-of-the-solution-to-global-jihad/; Nikolaj Nielsen, “Bearded Infidels in the EU Capital,” EUobserver, February 1, 2016, https://euobserver.com/investigations/131883.
His worldview was set: Anthony Faiola and Souad Mekhennet, “Jihadists Adding Crime to the Mix,” Washington Post, December 21, 2015.
led to him by a crucial source: Greg Miller and Souad Mekhennet, “Friendship Led Police to Paris Ringleader,” Washington Post, April 11, 2016.
a cousin living in Paris named Hasna Aitboulahcen: Much of the account of Hasna’s experiences and those of the woman called Sonia draws on reporting done by the author in collaboration with Greg Miller for the following article: Greg Miller and Souad Mekhennet, “One Woman Helped the Mastermind of the Paris Attacks. The Other Turned Him In,” Washington Post, April 10, 2016.
EPILOGUE: THE DEEPEST CUT
The whole thing took several hours: “Münchener Amokl?ufer wollte keine weiteren Menschen t?ten,” Zeit Online, August 17, 2016, http://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/zeitgeschehen/2016-08/lka-amoklauf-muenchen-taeter-ende-toetung-selbstmord; “T?ter erschoss 9 Menschen. Das sind die Opfer des Amoklaufs von München,” Focus Online, July 23, 2016, http://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/taeter-erschoss-9-menschen-das-sind-die-opfer-des-amoklaufs-von-muenchen_id_5756199.html.
purchased illegally on the so-called dark web: Jana Illhardt and Matthias Maus, “David S. hat seine Tat ein Jahr lang geplant,” Der Tagesspiegel, July 24, 2016, http://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/wer-war-der-amokschuetze-david-s-hat-seine-tat-ein-jahr-lang-geplant/13918328.html; Lars Langenau, “Ein T?ter, 58 Kugeln—der Amoklauf von München,” Süddeutsche Zeitung, July 24, 2016, http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/amoklauf-in-muenchen-ein-taeter-kugeln-1.3093354.
the umra pilgrimage: Contrary to the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which every Muslim should undertake once, as it is one of the five pillars of Islam, and which has to take place in the first days of the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar (Dhu?l-Hijja), the umra can be undertaken at any time of the year.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This book would not have been possible without many people’s support, advice, and labor.
I cannot thank Vanessa Gezari and Margot Williams enough for their crucial impact, support, and contributions. They are wonderful friends and became the godmothers of this project.
Peter Finn is not only one of the most talented editors at the Washington Post, he was also very helpful in the writing and editing process of this book. I owe Peter the greatest thanks for introducing me to the world of U.S. journalism when I started this journey, and he has since become a trusted adviser and friend.
My friend and former New York Times editor Christine Kay helped me develop the idea of this book and has since been a source of inspiration and support.
Michael Moss is not only one of the most talented reporters but he has also been a source of support through all these years, and his family has always welcomed me with warmth at their home.