A woman who went to Syria to support the Islamic State said Australian doctor Tareq Kamleh treated her son in hospital and ‘loved ISIS very much.’
The claims come just a week after Kamleh’s diary was found by a former British currency trader fighting for the Kurdish militia, which revealed how disillusioned the medical professional had become.
But that disenchantment isn’t what Ummu Muhammad, who goes by a pseudonym, saw from Kamleh in Raqqa’s Public Hospital last year, Adelaide Now reports.
Ms Muhammad said the 32-year-old, who is ‘very famous’ there but faces almost 25 years in jail if he returns to Australian shores, has an English-speaking wife and one-year-old son in the terror capital.
Tareq Kamleh was the poster boy for ISIS appearing in slick propaganda videos encouraging others to fight for the terrorist group
But his diary showed he was increasingly in ‘despair’ about its direction despite his public support for the terrorist group
Kamleh was allegedly ‘very tired’ when they met in November 2016 because he was working long hours, sometimes days at a time, treating wounded children.
But despite the overwhelming circumstances he unwaveringly supported ISIS and ‘was not being forced to do this job.’
It’s a vision completely at odds with British freedom fighter Macer Gifford’s take on Kamleh’s position – a position he learnt about in the poster boy’s diary.
Mr Gifford said he frequently complained about the terrorist group.
Central to Kamleh’s disillusionment was his fellow jihadist’s refusal to donate to an orphanage he became involved with, and the lack of support from commanders
‘I don’t think he was a particularly happy character… He didn’t seem to be getting on with people there very much,’ he told Fairfax.
Mr Gifford, who goes by a pseudonym, said his exact words at one point were: ‘I despair for the future of the caliphate’.
Central to Kamleh’s disillusionment was his fellow jihadist’s refusal to donate to an orphanage he became involved with, and the lack of support from commanders.
He also complained about ISIS fighters being cruel to animals, such as beating dogs, which upset him despite the murder and destruction he otherwise condoned
He also complained about ISIS fighters being cruel to animals, such as beating dogs, which upset him despite the murder and destruction he otherwise condoned.
‘Of all the things that ISIS has done, brutally murdered people and blown up homes, here was a guy who, it seemed, had had half his brain removed. Half of it was dedicated… but his sense of empathy, right and wrong, was way off,’ Mr Gifford said.
‘He was almost completely directionless as a person, wanting to cling to the Islamic State yet writing very openly and clearly how much he despaired at it.’
Mr Gifford handed over the notebook diary to Kurdish military collecting intelligence for U.S. forces, but said other documents showed the house was Kamleh’s.
Macer Gifford (pictured), a former British currency trader fighting with a Kurdish militia who found the diary, said Kamleh frequently complained about the terrorist group
Mr Gifford, who goes by a pseudonym, said the jihadist’s exact words at one point were: ‘I despair for the future of the caliphate’
They included measurements for a uniform, a note transferring its ownership to him, and a stamped document with a letterhead instructing an armoury to give him and another fighter gun holsters.
Mr Gifford likened Kamleh to American Psycho character Patrick Bateman – a charismatic obsessed with his appearance and health but psychotic.
He made notes about how many pushups he planned to do, and wrote about his military training in meticulous detail – even doodling AK47 rifles.
‘Just a neat, intelligent but slightly psychopathic character is what came across in his possessions,’ Mr Gifford said.
Mr Gifford (pictured with Kurdish comrades) likened Kamleh to American Psycho character Patrick Bateman – a charismatic obsessed with his appearance and health but psychotic.
Mr Gifford handed over the notebook diary to Kurdish military collecting intelligence for U.S. forces
This squared with statements from former colleagues in Australia who said he was charming but manipulative and sexually predatory.
Whether Kamleh is dead or alive or where he might be hiding was not clear but most foreign fighters were believed to have fled Raqqa before it fell.
With ISIS effectively defeated after its last stronghold fell earlier this month, he may have been killed elsewhere or still be on the run.
Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said no Australian jihadists had recently been captured, making it likely Kamleh was dead or still in hiding.