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"…Seven virgins!"

"Yes, if I complete my mission, I know that Allah will reward me with seven virgins and the finest things one can receive in the next life!"

This was the sentiment rushing through the mind of Iraqi insurgent, Ahmed Abdul. He was the point man in a daring, yet suicidal mission to oppose American military forces as they invaded the Iraqi city of Falluja. Ahmed had gotten prime information about a small civilian and soldier flight that was leaving for the allied nations. The plane was to pass over Falluja and head toward peaceful lands. It was a flight that carried a number of exchange students from Saudi Arabia back to Britain, which consisted of mostly schoolgirls and additional US soldiers that had already served their tour and were returning home to their families for the holidays.

However, Ahmed and his contingent of radicals would not have this. Instead, they intended to hijack the plane and bring its passengers to be dealt with by fanatic superiors. In turn, Ahmed would board the plane alone and if successful, use the passengers as bargaining chips in a prisoner-release scheme. It was an easy mission thought Ahmed; the soldiers would be unarmed and the students could offer little resistance once he took over the vehicle. If he could not succeed, he would explode the plane and blow himself up as well—it was a price he may have to pay, but seven virgins were waiting for him in the after life, at least that’s what Ahmed had thought.

The plane took off on schedule and Ahmed had boarded along with eight schoolgirls from Britain and five American soldiers. They all talked to one another and exchanged holiday ideas as they were all returning to their families for Christmas or Hanukah. Ahmed had observed them with spiteful eyes. The flight began its in-flight movie and soon a classic, American, Christmas show was brought to the screen. Stop-motion puppets depicted reindeer and elves dashing about an obviously fake, snow landscape and spewing cheerful, Christmas songs.

"Why am I such a misfit? Why are we such Misfits?" That was the verse in the film’s cheerful ballad. However, Ahmed watched the film with disgust and critiqued the holiday program with sardonic, under-his-breath remarks.

"Ha, foolish Americans...they don’t actually believe that an elf could leave the North Pole and become a dentist! And damn that Rudolf the big-nose reindeer—he looks like a pygmy camel and he and his prospecting, gold-hungry friend will never save the island of misfit toys. I hope the Bumble monster kills him!"

Hearing the weird man’s demeaning comments, a soldier turned in his seat and gave him a rebuking look.

"Is there a problem?" Replied the soldier.

"No, no problem – If Yankees worship funny elf puppets and a singing snowman then that’s good for you -- me, I worship a real god!"

The soldier just turned away in an obvious attempt to ignore the man’s humbug attitude. He, like the other US troops had all thought that the Arabic man was simply on the plane to help other gracious, Iraqi-born members of the Red Cross once they landed. They had seen many good-natured Iraqi people doing very honorable things, but little did they know that Ahmed was not one of them. He had hidden a small stash of guns under the plane’s landing gear, which was accessible from the inside of the plane as soon as the landing gear was pulled in. Soon, he would make his move and make these capitalist dogs pay, thought Ahmed.

Ahmed got up and made it look as if he were going to the bathroom, but on the trip toward the back of the plane, he quickly rushed into the flight attendant’s space and snaked past a busy stewardess. There, he ventured to the cargo area and finally, to the space where he had hidden the guns. It was all too easy, he thought. He almost felt sorry for the passengers, but his radical beliefs justified his intentions…intentions that were astonishingly clear; Kill!

Ahmed suddenly rushed to the front of the plane with guns blazing. Immediately, he shot the soldiers as they tried desperately to get to the madman in time. However, only one was quick enough to reach the terrorist, but the soldier had been riddled with automatic gunfire by the time he had his hands on him. Afterward, the last soldier fell to floor and gave up his final breath. In the background, the schoolgirls screamed and cried at the horrendous atrocity they had just witnessed.

"Finally," screamed Ahmed, "You capitalist bastards will die!"

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