Aukai Collins

Aukai Collins, born in 1974 is also known as "Aqil Collins" is an American of Nordic descent who converted to Islam and fought with Islamic Chechen irregulars of the Islamic Republic of Ichkeria. He was wounded in combat with elements of a Russian SPETZNAZ unit from which he subsequently lost his leg. He then, among other things, went on to work as a deep cover intelligence operative for the FBI cite news targeting terrorist cells both at home and abroad.
url=http://s3.amazonaws.com/911timeline/2002/foxnews052402.html
title=Interview With Aukai Collins
author=Linda Vester, Brigitte Quinn
publisher=Fox News: The Big Story With John Gibson
date=May 24, 2002
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2002/07/17/collins_interview/index.html
title=A conversation with Aukai Collins
author=Edward W. Lempinen
publisher=Salon magazine
date=July 17, 2002
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
url=http://www.nationalreview.com/robbins/robbins062102.asp
date=June 21, 2002
author=James S. Robbins
title=Accidental Jihadist: One “crazy American” and his very strange book.
publisher=National Review
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
date= July 21, 2003
url=
title=An American Fighter's War in Chechnya
author=Matt Bivens
publisher=Moscow Times
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,344146,00.html
title=Hawaiian Jihadi
publisher=Time magazine
date= August 26, 2002
author=Ed Finn
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
url=http://archive.salon.com/books/review/2002/07/17/myjihad/index.html
title=My Jihad
author=Laura Miller
date=July 17, 2002
publisher=Salon magazine
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
title=My jihad - Biography & Personal Narratives - Book Review
date=July 2003
author=Claire Rosser
publisher=Findarticles
accessdate=2007-08-29] cite news
title=The War Junkie
publisher=Maxim magazine
date=August 2002
author=Aukai Collins
accessdate=2007-08-29]

His exploits, which included contacts with Al Qaeda leading operatives, are described in the autobiographical book "My Jihad: One American's Journey Through the World of Usama Bin Laden--as a Covert Operative for the American Government" (ISBN 0-7434-7059-1). Although he is sometimes referred to as Hawaiian American, he is Caucasian and was born in the United States, having moved to Hawaii for a period in his youth.

In this book he distinguishes between the Chechen armed resistance against the Russian army, which he regards as justified according to Islam, and terrorism in Al Qaeda style, which he regards as contrary to Islam.

He also appears in Canadian-born adventurer Robert Young Pelton's book, "The Hunter, The Hammer, and Heaven: Journeys to Three Worlds Gone Mad".

After authoring My Jihad, Collins became a bounty hunter which ultimately led to his arrest in Mexico on weapons charges. He was recently released after serving a 4 year prison sentence in Durango,
Mexico.

References

External links

* [http://aukaicollins.com Aukai Collins Homepage]