The 27-year-old, former ivy league student, Mohimanul Alam Bhuiya made the biggest mistake of his life when he decided to leave America to join ISIS. But, it took him five long months as an acting armed militant for the terrorist organization before realizing what he had done.
In October 2014, only a week before he escaped from ISIS’ control, he wrote an email to the FBI stating– “I am an American who’s trying to get back home from Syria. I just want to get back home. All I want is this extraction, complete exoneration thereafter, and have everything back to normal with me and my family.”
As if it would be that easy. The FBI has a lot of other more important issues on its plate than rescuing an American traitor who willingly joined ISIS. Evidently, the FBI did not send assistance and Bhuiya somehow escaped on his own.
His return to his home state of New York was not a happy one. He was not exonerated, instead he was arrested and is now facing up to 25 years in prison. Bhuiya signed a cooperation agreement and pled guilty to providing ISIS material support and for receiving military training from the group.
In some form of last stitch effort to help the country he betrayed (and also to help his court case,) he has provided the FBI intel, while also discouraging others to join the ISIS ranks.
He appeared in an interview with NBC News where he recounted his horrific experience and publicly explained why he regretted his mistake.
“I’ve let my family down. I’ve let my nation down and I’ve let God down and I have a lot to make up for,” said Bhuiya to NBC. “I want to be the voice that helps deter extremism and really attack false ideology at its core. It’s something I’m absolutely committed to and my parents know my commitment and the government knows my commitment and I hope America can see my commitment as well.”
His cooperation is not likely to pay off considering the evidence the FBI has against him, including an official ISIS form where Bhuiya provided the terrorist organization his personal information and a plan he outlined to “break down aircraft.”
However, his cooperation does buy him time. He won’t be sentenced until after his “work” with the FBI is complete.
The FBI stated that he “has provided reliable information about the identities and activities of other ISIS members.”
But that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be punished for his crimes.
Hopefully his mistake is seen as a cautionary tale for others who are thinking about joining ISIS. He described the terrifying bloodthirst of the men around him while serving as a terrorist. “You could see madness in their eyes. People who just had a readiness for violence,” said Bhuiya of his fellow ISIS members.
ISIS, like all terrorist groups, uses fear to keep their soldiers loyal.
“Um, at one point towards the end, as things were getting more and more serious, I did see severed heads placed on spiked poles,” said Bhuiya. “It was just not the Islam I grew up with.”
Editor’s note: So this guy decides to betray America, its too rough for him so he decides to betray ISIS. I’d say he classifies as possibly the stupidest guy on earth.
He wants a “do over”? I say throw him in jail.