Terrorist Quits Al-Qaeda Due to Poor Health Plan

(New York City) A 46-year-old reported Moroccan ex-terrorist, L’Houssaine Kherchtou, testified during the trial of accused U.S. embassy bomber Ahmed Ghailani and explained that he quit al-Qaeda because of inadequate health care benefits.

Assistant Manhattan U.S. Attorney Harry Chernoff asked Kherchtou whether he had a dispute with al-Qaeda leaders at the time about medical treatment for his wife.

Kherchtou dropped his head, began to cry, nodded and wiped his eyes under his wire-rimmed glasses. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan said he didn’t hear Kherchtou’s answer.

Chernoff rephrased the question saying, “Did your wife need treatment for her pregnancy and al-Qaeda refused to pay the bill?”

“Yes,” Kherchtou whispered, and began to weep, taking a tissue and wiping tears from his face and blowing his nose.

Given the nature of al-Qaeda's mission, it would seem more appropriate to have a comprehensive funeral plan as opposed to a health care plan. Nevertheless, it's hard to believe that a terrorist would give up fanatical jihad because of lousy job benefits.