‘Bumbling’ New Zealand jihadi captured in Syria
Mark Taylor, who went viral for accidentally revealing militants’ location, says collapse of caliphate left him ‘in a pickle’
An Islamic State fighter from New Zealand nicknamed the “bumbling jihadist” says he has surrendered to Kurdish forces in Syria after the collapse of the caliphate left him in a “pickle”.
Speaking to the ABC from a prison in northern Syria, Mark Taylor - who also goes by the name Mohammad Daniel and Abu Abdul Rahman - said he had fled the terror group in December last year, when the situation for the remaining holdouts become intolerable.
“There was no food, no money, basic services were pretty much collapsed. I was in a pickle myself and had to make a final decision, which was to leave,” he said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The 34-year-old former New Zealand Defence Force soldier travelled to Syria to join Islamic State (IS) in June 2014, but insists he only worked as a border guard and an English teacher, and did not take part in any attacks.
“There's a difference between fighting and guarding. Guarding you don't need to plan anything; attacking you need to make preparations,” he told the ABC.
Elsewhere, in the interview, Taylor describes witnessing public executions in Raqqa and complains about the high cost of purchasing a captured Yazidi woman as a sex slave.
“I would go to the masjid [mosque] and someone would say, 'I bought a slave for five or ten thousand dollars', and I thought I'd like to have that kind of money myself, but I never had the chance, so I stuck to being married to a Syrian lady,” he said.
Taylor became notorious in October 2015, when he sent a series of IS propaganda tweets without switching off Twitter’s geotagging function, inadvertently revealing the militants’ precise location. He said he spent 50 days in an IS prison for the blunder.
In another widely reported incident, Taylor “declared he was on jihad, burned his passport and posted the charred remains on Facebook” in a 2014 propaganda video, before admitting that he had applied for a new one just three months later, the Daily Mail reported at the time.
Now hoping to return to New Zealand, Taylor “had an apology, of sorts, for his home country”, says the ABC.
“I’m sorry for causing too much trouble and being a bit hot-headed and flamboyant in my approach,” he said, acknowledging that he faced “a couple of years in prison” if granted permission to return.
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern said the country “has an obligation not to make people stateless”, although she could not discuss the specifics of whether and in what circumstances Taylor could return to New Zealand.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 magnificent hotels to visit before the summer crowds descend
The Week Recommends Have beach time in the Dominican Republic or a spa day in Saint-Tropez
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Sheep spray
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
The bird flu fight is faltering
Talking Points Are pandemic lessons going unheeded?
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
How would we know if World War Three had started?
Today's Big Question With conflicts in Ukraine, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, the 'spark' that could ignite all-out war 'already exists'
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
The issue of women and conscription
Under the radar Ukraine military adviser hints at widening draft to women, as other countries weigh defence options amid global insecurity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Why is Islamic State targeting Russia?
Today's Big Question Islamist terror group's attack on 'soft target' in Moscow was driven in part by 'opportunity and personnel'
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
Ukraine's unconventional approach to reconstruction
Under the radar Digitally savvy nation uses popular app to file compensation claims, access funds and rebuild destroyed homes
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Will Ukraine's leadership reset work?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy hints at ousting of popular military chief, but risks backlash amid dwindling munitions, delayed funding and Russian bombardment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Imran Khan sentenced to 10 years: how powerful is Pakistan's military?
Today's Big Question The country's armed forces ignore country's economic woes, control its institutions and, critics say, engineer election results
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Iran's endgame?
Today's Big Question Tehran seeks to supplant US and Saudi Arabia as dominant power in Middle East while forcing Israel to end Gaza war
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Israel proposes two-month pause in Gaza war in exchange for all Hamas hostages
Speed Read Deal doesn't include an agreement to end war, but might be 'the only path that could lead to a ceasefire', said US officials
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published