4 – Mohammad Ashan Tries to Claim a Reward…on Himself
Everyone knows that terrorism is no laughing matter as the threat of these violent groups grows larger throughout the globe. When we think of terrorists, we imagine the likes of Osama Bin Laden and others who carefully plot attacks with precision or bombers who have no issue sacrificing their life to end the lives of others. These men and women are to be feared; Mohammad Ashan? Not so much. Indeed, if all terrorists were as stupid as this guy, the world would be a much better place.
He was a mid-level Taliban member in east Afghanistan until April 2012 when he decided to walk up to a police checkpoint, pointed to a wanted poster that showed his face and announced that it was him. Was this a case of a guilty conscience? Did Ashan get tired of the struggle and decide to give up? No. Incredibly, he wanted the $100 reward for his capture!.
Ashan was a prime suspect in the attacks on Afghan security forces, so Specialist Matthew Baker was more than a little shocked when the terrorist apparently turned himself in. According to Baker, the men at the checkpoint asked Ashan if it was really him. Apparently, Ashan answered ‘yes, yes, that’s me’ with a remarkable amount of enthusiasm. Then he said something that defied belief: “Can I get my reward now?”
The soldiers arrested him, presumably after suppressing their laughter. Ashan became the butt of their jokes with one official dubbing him the ‘Home Alone burglars’ of the Taliban. Even with Ashan in custody, the soldiers couldn’t believe that it was the man on the poster. Eventually, they confirmed it with a biometric scan. It is hard to fathom why anyone would turn themselves in and expect a reward. As one of the soldiers remarked: “Clearly, this man is an imbecile.”