Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, known by the nom de guerre Spin Ghul, is shown in this US Attorney’s office in Brooklyn evidence photo released in New York, on March 6, 2017. US Attorney's Office/Reuters

Spin Ghul’s desire for jihad started when he was a child in Saudi Arabia, where his parents had remained after traveling from Niger on holy pilgrimage. From his elementary school days, he was determined to become a religious soldier, especially after learning about the Soviet-Afghan War, and how the Islamist holy warriors — the mujahideen — were helping defeat the USSR in the bloody battle.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, many mujahideen joined Chechen rebels to fight for independence, Chechnya being a majority-Muslim autonomous republic. The First Chechen War lasted from 19

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