Understanding the mind of al-Qaeda.

In a educational interview between Peter Marshall and Aimen Dean on Radio 4 today with a one time al-Qaeda operative was illuminating. He switched sides in 1998 and worked for MI5 and MI6 and became a spy for the secret services. The interview enabled use to understand the mind set of a Muslim Jihadist worker travelling between the Middle East and Afghanistan. What was he motivation? Initially going to Bosnia to help fellow Muslims in that civil war and later to Afghanistan. However he started to question the religious theories underpinning Jihad, after the bombing in Tanzania of the American Embassy in August 1998, where many hundreds were killed including Muslims. This was seen as unfortunate, but nevertheless 'collateral damage'. The ends justified the means. He had a further crisis after the London bombings in 7/7 and said things "regressed" after that. His pilgrimage from one time operative to secret service spy was both moving and enlightening