ZARQAWI-A PSYCHOPATHIC KILLER
PERSONAL BACKGROUND



ZARQAWI HAD A BAD UPBRINGING, DID NOT TAKE ISLAM SERIOUSLY AS A YOUNG MAN, AND TURNED TO A LIFE OF CRIME, INCLUDING ROBBERY AND RAPE. HE BECAME INTERESTED IN ISLAM ONLY WHEN HE WAS IMPRISONED IN JORDAN AND FORCED TO CONFRONT HIMSELF IN THE CONFINES OF A JAIL CELL. AFTERWARDS, HE SOUGHT TO TAKE PART IN THE ANTI-SOVIET JIHAD IN AFGHANISTAN, BUT HE ARRIVED AS THE RUSSIANS WERE LEAVING AND WORKED PRIMARILY AS A REPORTER IN PAKISTAN. DURING THAT PERIOD,

ZARQAWI ATTENDED A MADRASSA IN PESHAWAR WHERE HE WAS A STUDENT. AFTER RETURNING TO JORDAN, HE WAS ARRESTED IN 1994 AND HIS ARROGANCE WITH THE COURT RESULTED IN A 15-YEAR SENTENCE. HE WAS RELEASED DURING A GENERAL AMNESTY IN 1999 WITH KING ABDULLAH II'S ASCENDANCY TO THE JORDANIAN THRONE. WITHIN MONTHS, ZARQAWI RETURNED TO AFGHANISTAN WHERE HE MET WITH USAMA BIN LADIN, REQUESTED ASSISTANCE IN  OVERTHROWING THE JORDANIAN MONARCHY, AND OPENED A TRAINING CAMP IN HERAT NEAR THE IRANIAN BORDER. HE DEVELOPED CONNECTIONS WITHIN IRAN THAT ALLOWED HIM TO MOVE HIS FIGHTERS OUT OF AFGHANISTAN FOLLOWING THE ATTACKS ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2001. SUBSEQUENTLY, ZARQAWI MET WITH AL-QA'IDA'S MILITARY OPERATIONS CHIEF, SAYF AL-ADL, IN IRAN DURING MARCH 2003 AND BY THE FALL OF 2003 THERE WAS A STEADY FLOW OF AL-QA'IDA RECRUITS MOVING INTO IRAQ.

KEY POINTS:
1. PRIOR TO THE US-LED, INVASION OF IRAQ ZARQAWI’S ATTEMPTS AT REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITY HAD GENERALLY BEEN LACKLUSTER OR ENDED IN FAILURE. HOWEVER, WHEN THE AMERICAN OCCUPATION OF IRAQ BEGAN, ZARQAWI FOUND A NEW OPPORTUNITY TO REDEEM HIMSELF. IN ORDER TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR HIS FOLLOWERS AND ESTABLISH HIMSELF AS A LEADER OF THE "ZEALOUS YOUTH", ZARQAWI PERSONALLY CUT OFF THE HEAD OF THEIR FIRST CAPTURED VICTIM IN IRAQ, AN ACT HE VIDEOTAPED, HOLDING UP THE HEAD OF THE VICTIM AS A TROPHY FOR THE CAMERA. ISLAMIC SCHOLARS ROUNDLY CONDEMNED THIS ACT AS UN-ISLAMIC MUTILATION OF THE DEAD, BUT BY THEN, ZARQAWI HAD CEASED LISTENING TO ANY LEGITIMATE RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL AUTHORITY. THIS SINGLE TRAUMATIC EVENT WAS INTENDED TO PROVIDE A VISUAL THREAT OF WHAT AWAITED ZARQAWI'S ENEMIES, BUT IT HAD ONE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE FOR HIM. PSYCHIATRISTS AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS BELIEVE ZARQAWI HAD A PSYCHOTIC BREAK DURING OR AFTER THE BEHEADING EXPERIENCE. HE HAS BECOME ADDICTED TO VIOLENCE TO THE POINT WHERE THE TARGET OF HIS VIOLENCE DOES NOT MATTER ANY LONGER AND HE KILLS FOR THE SAKE OF KILLING. EVEN HIS FORMER TEACHER, MAQDISI, WILL HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HIM.

2. MENTALLY-STABLE PEOPLE EXPERIENCE REMORSE AFTER THEY KILL ANOTHER HUMAN (ACCIDENTALLY OR INTENTIONALLY). AS A RESULT,
NORMAL PEOPLE COMMONLY DEVELOP "POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER" AS A RESULT OF KILLING AND OFTEN REQUIRE MEDICAL AND PSYCHIATRIC CARE FOR YEARS AFTERWARDS. THIS IS SEEN IN SOLDIERS AND POLICE OFFICERS AS WELL AS COMMON CITIZENS AND THE SINGLE FACTOR ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS REMORSE.

3. PSYCHOPATHS DO NOT EXPERIENCE REMORSE FOR THEIR VIOLENT ACTIONS. THIS IS THE SINGLE ASPECT OF THEIR PSYCHOPATHOLOGY THAT SEPARATES THE PSYCHOPATH FROM THE REST OF HUMANITY. LIKE JIM JONES OF GUYANA WHO MADE ALL HIS FOLLOWERS KILL THEMSELVES RATHER THAN RETURN TO THEIR HOMES, ZARQAWI DEVELOPS A SENSE OF PERSONAL POWER FROM THE DEATHS HE CAUSES. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE MASTER MANIPULATORS WHO CAN CONVINCES OTHERS TO KILL THEMSELVES WHILE MURDERING OTHERS AND ZARQAWI CAN DO THIS BECAUSE HIS LEADERSHIP STYLE IS BOTH AUTHORITARIAN AND COMPASSIONATE -- ON THE SURFACE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT HIS PSYCHOPATH LEAVES HIM COLD ON THE INSIDE AND REQUIRES THE VIOLENCE TO FULFILL HIS EMOTIONAL NEEDS AND HE IS NOW ADDICTED TO IT. PSYCHIATRISTS DEFINE ZARQAWI AS HAVING A NARCISSISTIC PERSONALITY REQUIRING CONTINUOUS EGO REINFORCEMENT AND A SLIGHT TO THAT EGO FEEDBACK REQUIREMENT MAY RESULT IN A LETHAL RESPONSE FROM ZARQAWI. HIS EGO REQUIRES THAT HE HAVE FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS AND HE WORKS HARD TO MAINTAIN THIS FOLLOWING. HIS CURRENT LEVEL OF PATHOLOGY WOULD BE DESCRIBED AS SATANIC BY ANY INFORMED MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL.

4. ZARQAWI WAS AWARE THAT HE WAS VIOLATING HIS RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES THROUGH THE ACT OF BEHEADING A MAN AND HIS INNER TURMOIL HAS RESULTED IN PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS THAT HE MAY NOW BE SELF TREATING WITH "STREET MEDICATIONS." SLEEPLESSNESS AND ANXIETY ARE COMMONLY SEEN IN THESE INDIVIDUALS AND IN ORDER TO COPE WITH THEIR STRESS-FILLED LIVES, THEY NORMALLY BEGIN TO SELF-MEDICATE RATHER THAN SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP, USUALLY WITH NARCOTIC SUBSTANCES THAT SERVE TO WORSEN RATHER THAN IMPROVE THEIR SYMPTOMS AS THE MENTAL ILLNESS PROGRESSES. THIS ALSO LEADS ZARQAWI TO THINK IRRATIONALLY AND MAKE ADDITIONAL MISTAKES.

5. ZARQAWI'S APPARENT SHIFT TO RANDOM VIOLENCE HAS ALSO BEEN CAUSED BY THE CAPTURE OF HIS ADVISOR, ABU MUSAB AL-SURI, WHO WAS RECENTLY CAPTURED IN PAKISTAN. AS LONG AS AL-SURI, WAS PROVIDING TACTICAL ADVICE TO ZARQAWI, HIS VIOLENCE REMAINED ESSENTIALLY FOCUSED WITHIN IRAQ. LACKING THIS STEADYING INFLUENCE, ZARQAWI HAS NOW BEGUN TO LASH OUT AT HIS PERCEIVED PERSONAL ENEMY'S FROM THE PAST, THE JORDANIAN MONARCHY THAT ARRESTED AND JAILED HIM ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS AND, IN HIS TWISTED MEMORY, HARASSED HIM TO THE POINT THAT HE LEFT JORDAN. THIS SAME MONARCHY IS PURSUING ZARQAWI FOR HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE MILLENNIUM PLOT THAT NEARLY SUCCEEDED IN KILLING LARGE NUMBERS OF JORDANIANS. ZARQAWI'S RESENTMENT EVEN EXTENDS TO AL-QA'IDA AND IT IS INCREASINGLY OBVIOUS THAT HE IS IN OPEN REBELLION AGAINST ZAWAHIRI'S RECENT GUIDANCE.

SOCIETAL EXAMPLE:

ZARQAWI IS NOT UNLIKE A FEW AIDS VICTIMS WHOSE ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY INDUCES THEM TO ATTEMPT TO SPREAD THE DISEASE TO AS MANY OTHERS AS POSSIBLE IN AN ATTEMPT TO LESSEN THE STRESS OF THEIR IMPENDING PERSONAL DEMISE. ZARQAWI KNOWS -- AT SOME PERSONAL LEVEL -- THAT HELL NOW AWAITS HIM AND HE IS ENSURING THAT OTHERS GO FIRST. SEVERAL PSYCHIATRISTS BELIEVE MUCH LIKE A "MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY" CASE IN WHICH A PERSON SEEKS TO CAUSE HARM TO OTHERS FOR PERSONAL PLEASURE, THE BROAD DIAGNOSIS OF "SERIAL KILLER BY PROXY" -- WHICH ZARQAWI MAY ACTUALLY BE—IS APPROPRIATE. IN THE CASE OF ZARQAWI, HE IS ABLE TO MANIPULATE THE DEATHS OF TRUSTED FOLLOWERS AS THEY MURDER LARGE NUMBERS OF OTHERS WHO HAVE NO POLITICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND BOTH MURDERER AND VICTIMS DIE TO REINFORCE ZARQAWI'S NEED TO FEEL PERSONAL POWER.

PSYCHOPATH BEHAVIOR:
ONCE A PERSON CROSSES THE ANTI-SOCIAL BARRIER THAT PREVENTS MURDER IN SOCIETY, IT IS FAR EASIER TO KILL A SECOND TIME. FOR MANY, THIS KILLING BECOMES A SOURCE OF PERSONAL POWER OVER OTHERS. FOR ZARQAWI, PSYCHIATRISTS BELIEVE HE DERIVES A SENSE OF PERSONAL POWER BY MANIPULATING THE DEATHS OF OTHERS, NOT UNLIKE THE AIDS VICTIM SEEKING TO SPREAD HIS ILLNESS TO OTHERS.

HISTORICAL EXAMPLE:

THE ASSASSIN CULT LED BY THE "OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAIN" ARE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW A DEATH CULT FUNCTIONS. FIRST, BOTH DEATH CULTS REQUIRE THAT AN "ADHERENT" ASSASSINATE AN ENEMY AND DIE DURING THE ACT. FOR THE PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY, THIS SENSE OF PERSONAL POWER MAY ACTUALLY OUTWEIGH THE POWER FELT THROUGH AN ACTUAL PERSONAL MURDER. HISTORICALLY, THE ASSASSIN CULT KILLED BY DAGGER AND POISON; ZARQAWI'S DEATH CULT KILLS WITH CAR AND VEST BOMBS, BUT THE RESULTS ARE IDENTICAL. THE VICTIMS DIE ALONG WITH THE ACTUAL KILLERS WHILE THE PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY THAT CAUSED THE DEATHS RECEIVES A GREAT BOOST ON PERSONAL POWER OVER OTHERS.

RELIGIOUS EXAMPLE:

WHEN SHAITAN WAS EXPELLED FROM HEAVEN AND SENT INTO HELL, HE BEGAN TO WORK TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE ELSE WENT TO HELL ALONG WITH HIM. ZAWAHIRI IS NO DIFFERENT IN HIS OUTLOOK. HE IS DESTINED FOR HELL AND AT SOME PERSONAL LEVEL, HE KNOWS THIS IS HIS FATE. HE WANTS TO TAKE OTHERS WITH HIM.

KORAN VERSES (FROM SURA AL-NAS "MANKIND"):
IN THE NAME OF GOD, MOST GRACIOUS, MOST MERCIFUL
1. SAY: I SEEK REFUGE WITH THE LORD AND CHERISHER OF MANKIND.
2. THE KING OF MANKIND.
3. THE GOD OF MANKIND.
4. FROM THE MISCHIEF OF THE WHISPERER (OF EVIL), WHO
WITHDRAWS (AFTER HIS WHISPER).
5. (THE SAME) WHO WHISPERS INTO THE HEARTS OF MANKIND.
6 . AMONG JINNS AND AMONG MEN.

AL-ZARQAWI REVEALED IN THE AMMAN BOMBINGS (09/NOV/2005) THAT HE TOLERATES NO POTENTIAL COMPETITORS WITHIN HIS ORGANIZATION. A HUSBAND AND WIFE TEAM COMPOSED OF ALl HUSAYN ALl AL-SHAMARI, ONE OF THE AL-ZARQAWI'S MOST TRUSTED LIEUTENANTS, AND SAJIHDA MUBARAK ATRUS AL-RISHAWI CONDUCTED THE BOMBING AT THE RADISSON HOTEL. MANY OF RISHAWI'S FAMILY MEMBERS WERE PART OF AL-ZARQAWI'S INNER CIRCLE AND ARE NOW ALL DEAD. HER BROTHER THAMIR AL-RISHAWI OR "HAJI THAMIR" WAS KILLED IN AL-FALLUJAH AND WAS DESIGNATED TO BE THE EMIR OF AL-ANBAR PROVINCE FOR AL-ZARQAWI'S GROUP BEFORE HIS DEATH. HER BROTHER-IN-LAW, NIDAL ARABIYAT, WAS KILLED IN AL-KHALIDIYAH AND HE WAS ALSO A KEY AIDE TO AL-ZARQAWI. EVEN AL-ZARQAWI'S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR, ABU ANAS AL-SHAMI, WHO WAS ANOTHER KEY AIDE, WAS SENT TO HIS DEATH IN IRAQ ON AN ASSIGNMENT PLANNED BY AL-ZARQAWI. BOTH HAJI THAMIR AND ARABIYAT WERE BELIEVED TO HAVE GAINED EQUAL PRIVILEGED STATUS IN AL-ZARQAWI'S ORGANIZATION. ADDITIONALLY, RISHAWI WAS MEANT TO HAVE BEEN THE FOURTH SUICIDE BOMBER DURING THE AMMAN ATTACKS, BUT HER DEVICE DID NOT DETONATE WHEN SHE TRIED TO ACTIVATE IT.

--IN THE CASE OF THE DEATH OF ABU ANAS AL-SHAMI, AL-ZARQAWI'S SPIRITUAL ADVISOR AND CLOSE ASSOCIATE WHO WAS KILLED IN FALLUJAH IN 2005, ABU MUHAMMAD AL-MAQDISI, AL-ZARQAWI'S FORMER MENTOR, SPOKE OUT AGAINST AL-ZARQAWI AND EXPRESSED ANGER THAT ABU ANAS HAD BEEN SENT ON A "FAILING" MISSION AND TO HIS SUBSEQUENT DEATH. ABU ANAS WAS ALSO A FORMER STUDENT OF AL-MAQDISI AND HAD SUPERIOR RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE TO THAT POSSESSED BY AL-ZARQAWI.