From Syrian prison, American citizen recalls how he joined ISIS after a family trip to Morocco

During a family trip to Morocco, 18-year-old Abdelhamid Al-Madioum decided to join ISIS. The Minnesota-native took a solo flight to Istanbul and made it to Iraq. He is currently serving a prison sentence in Syria for being part of the terrorist organization.

Speaking to CBS reporter Holly Williams, the 22-year-old American citizen said : «My name is Abdel. I come from Minnesota (…) I lived in the suburbs of Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie».

From his prison cell, Al-Madioum recalled that in 2015, when he was a student at the Normandale Community College and working part-time in the school’s IT department, he travelled with his family to the North African Kingdom.

«Court Documents say during a 2015 family vacation to Morocco, he slipped away, taking a solo flight to Istanbul. From there, he made his way to ISIS in Iraq», CBS Minnesota wrote on Wednesday.

«I will be very honest with you, I thought I was going to come and help people», said Al-Madioum, who hopes he can return to the United States.

Records show that after he vanished in Morocco, his parents looked for him everywhere. «I would say, ‘Mom and Dad, I am really, really sorry for hurting you guys, and you guys came to America seeking a better life, not for yourselves, but for me (…) I hope that you will be able to forgive me».

Al-Madioum who might face a 15-year sentence if convicted in the US lost an arm in Iraq. He also lost his wife and two children.