Monday, January 4, 2010

Bomber Hot For Radicals Back in High School

We've been told that Roasted Nuts became radicalized when he went to university in London, but a former teacher recalls that he voiced a fondness for the Taliban back in High School. From the New York Daily News:
Undies bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab first showed signs of Islamic radicalism in high school, when he backed the Taliban during a class discussion, his former teacher said Sunday.

After the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Abdulmutallab was the only student in his elite West African private school to voice support for the terrorists.

"For example, in 2001 we had a number of class discussions about the Taliban. All the other Muslim kids in the class thought they were a bunch of nutters, but Umar spoke in their defense," Mike Rimmer, who taught Abdulmutallab history for three years, told the BBC.

Rimmer called his religious views "a bit over the top."

Still, the teacher told the Daily News, he "expected great things" from Abdulmutallab and was stunned by the events of Christmas Day.

"I did not expect this. He was a great lad," Rimmer said from his home in London. "He was so talented and healthy and came from a great family."
"All I can think of is he met some fanatics and it changed him," Rimmer said...
Well, maybe not "changed" him so much as brought out a predilection.

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