There is an old English proverb that states cats are blessed with nine lives. Of course, felines have a reputation for their ability during a fall to land on their feet.
The inference being that humans only have one life and are not as lucky or flexible as moggies but the same can not be said of American-born Bilal Abdul Kareem who has survived around half a dozen US drone attacks, as well as countless other airborne strikes and ground assaults.
However, even he realises his luck is not infinite and so the New Yorker has taken unprecedented legal action against the United States.
Yvonne Ridley, WTX Diplomatic Editor caught up with ‘Cat Man‘ Kareem during her recent trip to rebel-held Idlib province in war-torn Syria.
The freelance journalist is one of the founders of On the Ground News (OGN) which has also become a target of the Assad regime along with other journalists and media organisations.
During the interview at a secret location in Idlib, Kareem told WTX how he first turned to comedy before converting to Islam.
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He moved to the Middle East more than ten years ago which is where Yvonne Ridley first met him in Cairo, Egypt before the two crossed paths again in Qatar.
Living in several locations during and after the so-called Arab Spring, home for Kareem is now Syria. In these interviews he tells WTX News about his death-defying career, the infamous lawsuit and why would former US President Barak Obama want to have him killed.
How did he wind up on Obama’s kill list? In a rare one-to-one interview, Kareem talks frankly about his near-death experiences, the war in Syria, a breakdown of the militias inside the country and his views on ISIS/Daesh.
It’s a compelling interview and only on WTX News. Follow and subscribe to our news briefing and you’ll get the second and third parts to this exclusive interview delivered to your inbox.
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