Final

00:59:59.23-- 01:58:00.03

 

[00:59:59.23]         (Music playing) ISIS Video

[01:00:07.05]         (Male voice speaking foreign language)

[01:00:11.06]         (Men shouting in foreign language)

[01:00:17.23]         Man in vest: This message I deliver to you, the people of America. I deliver this message to you, the people of Britain. And I deliver this message to you especially, the people of Australia. We will not stop fighting. We will not put down our weapons, until we reach your land. Until we take the head of every tyrant. And until the black flag is flying high in every single land. Until we put the black flag on top of Buckingham Palace. Until we put the black flag on top of the White House. And we will defeat you. [01:00:46.14 speaking foreign language]

[01:00:49.06]         (Men shouting)

[01:00:55.28]         (SUPER) ISIS VIDEO

[01:00:58.00]         Young man: This is a message to Canada and all the American [01:01:00.29 inaudible], we are coming and we will destroy you. [01:01:05.13 foreign language].

[01:01:26.22]         (SUPER) UNDERCOVER IN ISIS

[01:01:31.25]         (SUPER) DIRECTED BY MARTIN HIMEL

[01:01:36.03]         (SUPER) ISIS Video

[01:01:37.15]         Martin: For 30 years I've been covering radical Islamic militias like Hezbollah, Hamas in Gaza, Lebanon, Al Qaeda in Iraq, and never have I ever seen a militia or group like ISIS. The ability to get people to basically become inspired and attack on their own has created enormous . . .

[01:01:58.11]         (SUPER) Martin Himel

[01:01:58.11]         Martin:  . . .headaches. We all talk about social media, we all talk about this power to recruit by ISIS, but we never really see it. So I decided, and found a group of freelancers, these are unusual freelancers. They've all worked in security services. They're retired. Let's create characters, social avatars, people who'll go online and we'll lure ISIS to see if they'll try to recruit them. One is a Theo, a Swede, and the other is Sara, an Australian. Security and anonymity is a key, so we're hiding their identity and we're going to see if ISIS falls for the bait or not.

[01:02:44.13]         (SUPER) THE ASSIGNMENT

[01:02:50.10]         Team Leader: The project is very simple. We would like to show how this dynamic of recruiting people starts, in the early stages.

[01:02:58.13]         (SUPER) Team Leader

[01:02:58.25]         Team leader: Why? Because we are facing now a tremendous wave of Jihadist conversation on the Jihadist network. Who are you? What's your story?

[01:03:10.18]         Theo: So I decided to have another type of character, more like the person that are a little bit left outside, he doesn't have any direct . . .

[01:03:22.28]         (SUPER) "Theo"

[01:03:23.06]         . . . contact anymore with his family. Born and raised in Malmo, where there actually is a big Muslim community. Working on his own, doesn't have so many friends.

[01:03:34.23]         Team leader: That's really the type of the lone wolf.

[01:03:37.07]         Theo: Right.

[01:03:39.04]         Team leader: Tell me a little bit about the background.  Talk to me of your whom?

[01:03:42.25]         Sara: Okay. So I am Sara, Sara Harris. Born and raised in Sydney,

[01:03:47.19]         (SUPER) "Sara"

[01:03:48.11]         Sara: . . . her parents are divorced. Her father is Muslim, but her mother is Christian. You know, no contact with her father, no contact with her father's family, so she's now trying to explore her, what would be Muslim identity. Who is she? And all these big questions.

[01:04:09.19]         Team Leader: The motivation to be attracted to Islam because of the stepfather and family and this mysterious code is great. Basically, this is a three-step process. On the first one, you need to go through a process of sympathizing. Sympathize with the wrong-doing against Muslims, sympathize with violent acts, sympathize. Use it to communicate to the world, through your avatar.

[01:04:52.23]         Martin: A big problem here is cybersecurity. ISIS is very sophisticated. They want to know who they're talking to. They’re always concerned that they might be talking to security operatives, spies, etcetera. And so we have to protect, and give them the impression they're talking to the people that they're talking to. So we basically took on Max.

[01:05:15.04]         Max: IP address is very exact place, and if you look it up, you know where it's coming from and usually it tells you, it belongs to a certain special provider, internet provider, of your home town or wherever you are. So what we have to do is actually set up, or work on a PC which has this IP address. So what you do is, you actually rent a PC, you said Australia? Then we rent a PC in Australia. And if anybody has the tools, or the ability to look where the communication is coming from, he gets the answer, it's coming from Australia. If he does get into the PC, what he will see is everything we have put there. We have put the background of Islamic pamphlets. We put then tweets or other connections, some imaginary and some which are not. It all looks hundred percent good to him, a hundred per cent safe to him.

[01:06:11.10]         Sara: I took the name Asma Bint Abu Bakr. There's a quote from the Quran which says that birds are being held up because of Allah. On my profile, I have general Islamic content. I'm trying to convey the persona of somebody who is supportive of the Islamic State.

[01:06:41.14]         Theo: With my name, Abdul-Aziz Nabeel. First of all the profile picture, Quran, and the big cover picture, also a page from the Quran. It says here I am a Muslim convert candidate from Sweden. The Quran is the ultimate solution for all our problems and all our struggles. Allahuakbar.

[01:07:12.24]         Team leader: The second is, show interest. Show real interest in becoming a Muslim, an active Muslim, a committed Muslim.

[01:07:23.03]         Theo: I follow all kind of pro-ISIS tweeters, everything from Islamic quotes to fighters, actually in our, right now currently in Syria.

[01:07:38.02]         Sara: So I have three followers. The first one is Umm Safiyyah. She does post a lot of things that are pro-ISIS. It's definitely a message of you're not alone, there are other people who are doing it. It's your duty as a Muslim to go to the Islamic state and partake in Jihad. One of my contacts on Facebook essentially said that if you cannot move to the Caliphate, then you should kill non-believers.

[01:08:24.06]         Wood: ISIS has been brilliant in its use of social media. ISIS is in some ways, not any worse than other groups . . .

[01:08:29.04]         (SUPER) Graeme Wood
The Atlantic
ISIS Specialist

[01:08:29.11]         Wood: . . . that we've seen in the past, whether it be on the front [01:08:31.20 inaudible] between US and Mexico, or in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

[01:08:35.29]         (SUPER) MARKO DAFNI

[01:08:37.25]         Wood: But ISIS has realized . . .

[01:08:38.28]         (SUPER) ISIS Video

[01:08:39.05]         Wood: . . . that if they use social media and broadcast images of the worst things they do, then they can have exactly the kind of polarizing effect that they want. And you know, we've really fallen for it.

[01:09:04.14]         Theo: My first contact with Raschide, obviously pro-ISIS tweeter, he's saying here, 32 years old, he's living in north of France. He sees some of my tweets, he want to follow me. And I send him a message.

[01:09:31.17]         Theo: I'm saying I'm angry on how Europe are treating Muslims. I want to contribute more to Islam. Not only by praying. And I say I don't only want to sit here, I want to take part of the struggle. And I'm explaining him also that I don't have any relations with my family anymore.

[01:10:05.04]         Team leader: These are people who really want to mainly test the limits. They want to challenge their strength. The other group of people are people who come to this journey from a big, big void. They look for a meaning, they are in a very deep identity crisis. So these people are attracted to what ISIS offers . . .

[01:10:30.21]         (SUPER) Team Leader

[01:10:30.24]         Team leader: . . . because they feel that ISIS actually can fill this void.

[01:10:36.08]         Theo: What is happening in Syria is important for us. It's hard to just sit here and do nothing.

[01:11:15.01]         Sara: So this is my contact in Raqqa. Her pen name is Umm Hamza. She says that she's a Swedish woman who's made Hijira, which is she's moved with her family to the Islamic State. Raqqa is a city in Syria. It's the ISIS defacto capital. She took a picture of her cat. And then afterwards she posted pictures of her daughter at school. Smoothie bars in Raqqa. A recurring theme in a lot of these posts of being free to pray and free to be Muslim. How did I make contact with Umm Hamza? I followed her and asked her to follow me back.

[01:12:45.13]         Sara: Hang on, I've got a new message. She sent me a link to something. An archive of basically a PDF on how to get in and out of Syria. You drive to SanLaurfa and there's the border, and there's basically a highway straight to Raqqa.

[01:13:26.04]         Team leader: Once you have several good indicators that you get positive answers and they really move from asking you questions to tell you things, this will be a very good indication for capability to move to the third. And the third is the operation.

[01:14:17.01]         Theo:  You must be patient. But prepare for the departure. This is our destiny inshallah. And he tells me I'm beginning to have contacts in Brussels. I have to go soon to meet these people.

[01:14:55.24]         (SUPER) BRUSSELS AIRPORT ATTACK
MARCH 22, 2016

[01:15:19.15]         Martin: When Rachide offers Theo to go to Brussels and meet up with his Jihadi friends in Brussels in order to get to Syria, that presents a problem for us. But it's interesting, this offer to go to Brussels and meet this group took place at least six months before the Brussel attack. This really strengthened for us the feeling that Rachide is for real, that he knows these operatives.

[01:15:48.12]         Theo: And I'm asking him, what do I need to prepare? Can your contact send us some kind of a list?

[01:16:20.07]         (SUPER) We never send Theo to Brussels.

[01:16:29.07]         (SUPER) ISIS Video

[01:16:37.29]         Team leader: You can take one of two possible directions. One, you can become a Jihadist.

[01:16:44.02]         Sara: Um-hmm.

[01:16:44.20]         Team leader: or you can become a Jihadi bride.

[01:16:47.24]         Sara: Um-hmm.

[01:16:47.26]         Team leader: So you have to figure out which direction you want.

[01:16:52.24]         Sara: I will probably have to figure out as I go, and probably have to vibe off what, the feelings that they're giving me about what kind of person they're looking for.

[01:17:03.24]         Sara: I tell her that I want to travel alone. She corrects me. She says I really recommend that you find others to travel with or marry someone who's coming with you.

[01:17:20.05]         Sara: I told her that my friends and I are going to holidays in Istanbul at the end of the month. I'm traveling on my Australian passport. And I thought I would tell them that I'm going sightseeing and leave them when I get to Turkey.

[01:17:46.08]         Sara: Two weeks ago there was a MI6/CIA operation that took down a lot of twitter accounts that were associated and pro-ISIS. At the same time they're re-starting their accounts under different identities. But they're also warning each other how not to get picked up by intelligence. This is a social media war.

[01:18:20.22]         Martin: Once Umm Hamza wanted to tell Sara, Asma, all the details of how to get to Turnkey and them from there into Syria, that's when she decides, let's get off Twitter. These ISIS people are very experienced, they know all of the dos and don'ts and how to conceal information. They're very social media savvy, cyber savvy. So she said, let's get off Twitter and let's move to Kik and Wikr, which are encrypted texting sites.

[01:18:57.00]         Sara: She doesn't want to give her details away and she might be concerned that people are collecting her information and what she's saying.

[01:19:22.05]         Sara: She calls me sister, she asks how I am. She tells me that she wants to take care of me. She doesn't want to lure me into doing things that I don't want to do. And she's very genuine.

[01:19:41.05]         Sara: Everything will be fine inshallah. Of course, I told her I have nursing training. You can work in the hospital. if you want a good husband, inshallah, my husband can find one.

[01:20:24.03]         Sara: Salaam Aleykum ukhtifillah. I have some news for you. My daughter's husband . . . oh my God. My daughter's husband is interested in you, and we talked about it. He would, we would be like a family if you get married. He's 28 and I think, or 27. He's Swedish, tall and blond, we have a bunch of kids with my daughter. My daughter knows, this is fine, so please think about it and tell me if you are interested, inshallah. He is very kind and I feel so safe with him. I promise he is also funny.

[01:21:12.15]         (SUPER) This photo was sent by Umm Hamza of the prospective husband.

[01:21:21.11]         (SUPER) Swedish Jihadi, Michael Skramo AKA Abou Ibrahim

[01:21:29.19]         Sara: The first time that she sent me the picture of Abu Ibrahim, it's definitely a shock. This person is real and this person exists. She's marrying me off to a real person.

[01:21:44.29]         (SUPER) ISIS Video: Michael Skramo

[01:21:45.01]         (Skramo speaking foreign language)

[01:21:50.16]         (Subtitle) This is a little reminder, to those who love Allah.
My dear brothers.
There is a war against Islam in the world and this isn't anything new to you.
You know it and I know it.
He has told us that the nations will gather around us.
The nations will gather around us.
The door to Jihad is wide open for you.
Don't you know that is the fast way to Paradise?
And my brother, Jihad is so simple and doesn't cost more than about a 1000 (Swedish crowns)
Do you have the heart to strive, and the desire to show Allah what you have to offer for him?
I have never felt so alive before as I do now here in Islam State.
When I think about you guys, I want to you to be here with me.
I want us to socialize in Paradise.

[01:22:44.12]         Sara: We can try to Vibr, inshallah. Maybe Skype works good too if I go to the cafe. Even if you agree to meet him, it's not an agreement to marry, just know that Ukhti, don't feel stressed, but I will tell him you will think about it. Inshallah.

[01:23:00.21]         (Phone ringing)

[01:23:05.00]         (Subtitle) Hello?
Salaam Aleyqum!
Salaam Aleyqum sister!
Can you hear me well?
Yeah I can hear you really well. How are you?
Good. Alhamdullilah. So. How are you?
I've been so busy.
I noticed, and I was like oh where is she!
I wanted to ask you.
Well what's he like?
Yeah!
The story...(giggling)
His personality?
He has many.
I've known him now for 4 or 5 years. He is positive, glad. Sometimes serious. He likes to be silent for a while, reading Quran. I am his, what is it? Mother-in-law. Sometimes we have our fights, you know? Disagreements...because we are family. Truly, I love him. And he's not aggressive.
That's good to hear! That's very good to hear!

[01:24:43.23]         Sara: Holy shit. Suddenly the person who you've been speaking to through text messages and through the internet, they suddenly have a voice and they suddenly have, they suddenly become a person.

[01:25:05.00]         (SUPER) Video from Umm Hamza’s Facebook Page

[01:25:08.18]         (Subtitle) For example, my daughter, she is married to him.
I never felt worried, you understand?
Yeah.
Of course, but you know, we have to be careful.
Yes, it is.
Especially for our sisters.
If a man is wrong, it can be a disaster for the woman.
Yeah. It's worse than if it's a bad woman.
It's easier for the man.
He says, yeah salaam aleykum, go!
But, if a man is bad, it can be very hard.

[01:25:42.00]         Sara: It makes it...

[01:25:44.22]         (Subtitle) I'm a bit nervous about it, but if you tell me he's a good person then you haven't said anything that wasn't right. I have no reason not to trust you.
Because sisters to me are more important than brothers in that way.
Because, we can get hurt. And, I wouldn't recommend him for anyone if I knew he was bad.
So I'd be his second wife?
Yeah.
And my daughter she's okay with it. She is very nice and calm, my daughter. But, I think you will like her too. You said you like kids?
I love children. How many children does he have?
No, Allah Akbar he has five!
WOW!
Wow! Yeah. I say the same!
So we'll be busy?
Oh yeah, mashallah.

[01:26:57.03]         Sara: She's being genuine in her wish for people to come and join a cause that she believes in. It's harder to separate the cause that she's fighting for, in inverted commas, from who she is. And it becomes hard for me as well.

[01:27:17.06]         (SUPER) Video from Umm Hamza’s Facebook Page

[01:27:21.01]         (Subtitle) He asked me about you, and I said oh you like children. He said, oh, and he smiled and said that's good!
What do you say, do you want to have a meeting with him,
so you can talk to him?
As I said to you, he speaks English very well.
He's very curious about you.
What does he want to know?
I think for the moment he wants just to talk to you and see you.
He's little bit shy, too. How tall are you?
How tall am I?
How tall are you?
I'm 172 cm (5'8).
Wow. Are you still on for the 22 of May?
Yes, I'm still...My flight is still on the 22nd of May.
It feels like it's coming close.
Yeah it is, the time is running out now.
Maybe we don't talk about that on here. You write on Wickr.
Yeah, of course.
We don't know who is with us now!
Yes. You're right!
When it comes to that point you have to we have to inform the right people about you, to take you.
Of course.

[01:28:52.19]         Sara: I feel that I am a lot of the times manipulating her and it's not a comfortable feeling. It's difficult to continue to lie to this woman because she does seem like she's genuine.

[01:29:17.11]         She's doing something for an organization that's terrible, I can't explain it.

[01:29:22.10]         Team leader: Spies usually get a very close psychological Support

[01:29:27.07]         (SUPER) Team Leader

[01:29:28.02]         Team leader: . . . in order to make sure that this mixture between your fake identity and your real one is kept. Her fake emotions penetrated into her true self so she really felt strongly about this woman. She could identify with her. She could buy into her story and this is what recruiters actually want.

[01:29:56.22]         (SUPER) ISIS Training Video

[01:30:00.15]         Team leader:  Umm Hamza is great. A great professional recruiter, and I'm sure that she went through some auditions and some examinations. Through some screening process to be a living female recruiter on behalf of ISIS.

[01:30:21.14]         (Subtitle) I trust you. If you tell me that he's a good person then you know what, I do want to meet with him on Skype.
You want to meet him?
Yes, if you can.
Alhamdullilah!
Hamdullilah!
I'm nervous too!
I'm very nervous.
It's like everything is changing.
But it feels alright!
There is meaning in everything.
Just believe in Allah that everything will go good.
I believe everything will go well too.
Can you tell me a little bit more about him? What does he do now?
Now he is an internet cafe here. He doesn't hear me. I'm outside, alone.
Can you put him on? Can I talk to him?
I mean I was thinking about it...
Maybe we'll talk now instead of Skype?
If you're going to get married before, I think you have to do a meeting on Skype... I don't know the rulings of that. Ok. Ah, here he comes.

[01:31:43.15]         (Subtitle) Salam Aleykum. How are you?
I’m fine, how are you?
I'm well, I'm very well. I'm nervous.
(Laughing) Mashallah. How's everything?
I'm at school. I'm studying at university. I'm worried.
It's difficult, but I think I'm doing the right decision.
(Static) I'm trying to find a spot where it's better.
It's hard to hear you.

[01:32:23.03]         (SUPER) At this point the conversation got cut off and we were not able to reach Michael Skramo again for several days.

[01:32:32.20]         (SUPER) We sent this image of the Australian Bride to Michael Skramo.

                              (SUPER) This woman does not exist. This picture was manipulated using Photoshop.

                              (SUPER) This was done so Michael Skramo and Umm Hamza would not be able to trace our operative.

[01:33:01.23]         (Phone ringing)

[01:33:06.13]         (Subtitle) Hello? Hello?
Salaam Aleykum.
Salaam Aleykum.
How are you?
I'm fine, Inshallah, how are you?
If I speak like this can you hear me good?
Yes, I can hear you very well.
You don't know any Imams or anything in Australia, huh?
Like I said, when I sent you the text message, I don't know which ones I can trust and which ones I can't. You understand right?
What area are you in, or city?
I'm in Sydney.
I will check if I meet someone from Australia, I will check.
Hamdulilah!

[01:34:00.22]         Sara: I'm now talking to somebody who is a killer, he's a killer. He's not a nice person. I feel exposed. Even though he'll never see my face, I feel, I feel exposed. He may never find out who I am, but he's heard my voice, so I'm no longer completely anonymous.

[01:34:21.26]         (Subtitle) I don't know why they do it, but they don't let people get married at the borders. Before, they used to do it. But, now they want to make sure that everybody who comes in knows the religion.
So what do we do?
Because your trip is soon.
Yeah.
If we don't find a way then you have to just tell them that you're married.
Ok.
So that I can get you, Inshallah.

[01:34:56.24]         (SUPER) URFA, TURKISH/SYRIAN BORDER

[01:34:59.24]         (Subtitle) There's a city called Urfa. Basically you just go to that city and they will pick you up. You'll be with all the women coming across. They help you there. So you don't have to think about anything. It's just a procedure that you have to get the Turkish number and send it to me when you're in Turkey.
Okay.
So I can give it to them and they'll protect you.
I understand.
It's very simple. Like I said, like I wrote, you have to take precaution. Even if it means you travel without the hijab. If they were to look in your bag they won't find any weird things.
You're so right.
You should even put music in your mp3.
Yeah. That's so smart!
Even buy cigarettes and put them in your pockets in case they were to check.
That's really smart.
I didn't think about that, thank you. Is that what you did when you went over?
Everybody does that.
Oh okay.
Especially brothers. Security police if they have their eyes on someone it's often the brothers, it's not the sisters.

[01:36:36.10]         Sara: Deeply grosses me out to say it, but you have to use your voice to seduce him and make him think that he is amazing and wonderful, and he's perfect. And everything that he says is amazing. And everything that he says is genius. Because he clearly wants someone to make him feel good. To feed his ego.

[01:37:03.16]         (Subtitle) And I'm sorry for asking again, I just really want to make sure that I'm not bothering anyone by coming and that everything will be fine.

[01:37:15.26]         (Subtitle) You're not bothering anyone sweetheart!
Will we all live together?
No, no, no, we'll get you an apartment.
Okay.
It's very, very, very important for you to know that for you to make this journey and be able to come here, it's a very big gift from Allah. Don't be worried!
I'm trying, I'm trying. But, it's not easy. But, I hope Inshallah, everything will turn out fine. We can only pray.
It's very close now.
It is. I have butterflies in my stomach.
Just picture yourself going on a vacation with your friends, and when you're in Turkey you buy the sim card you switch roles.
It sounds so easy! Right, I'm just going on a holiday and never coming back!

[01:38:28.00]         Sara: How can I get the most information out of him and by putting yourself, by ignoring who you are and putting yourself in that character, it makes it a lot easier to overcome that feeling of I don't want to, this is not somebody who I want to talk to. Ever.

[01:38:52.02]         (Subtitle) What are your worries about this trip?
Which worry? I'm worried about everything. Firstly I'm worried that I won't be able to leave the country because someone would've found out or the police would stop me and then I'll never be able to make it.
I'm scared that in Turkey they'll stop me and send me back, and then I'll be in prison. Am I worried about enough things?
Don't worry about the border. Are you travelling to Turkey with friends or alone?
My friends are going on holidays but they don't know either. They're Christian. But, then I'm going to leave them.
Don't tell anyone!
I haven't told anyone.
If you want to tell someone you'll tell them when you're here.
Yeah.
I really want to know what brought you to Allah?
It's a very long story!
So tell me the short version, the trailer version.
Somebody told me about Islam and said that it was the religion of truth and it's from God. I'm a very open person. I'm not closed, I'm very open. I like to evaluate things on my own.
That's very beautiful!
Like, I thought I believed in Allah but as soon as the real belief, the imam, came into my heart I'm going to stand in front of Allah. I have to. That brings to action. That's the difference between when you have faith, it's easy to act upon that faith. It's a long and complicated story.
That's so beautiful to hear.
Ask me something sweetheart, I don't know what to say.
Do you get along well with Umm Hamza?
Yeah.
She's been really beautiful to me, really special. And what's your wife's name?
Amanda. I have 5 children.
You like to have a lot of children?
Of course, I think motherhood is one of the most beautiful things that a woman can do. To give life to children and to be surrounded by children...
It's good that you love children!
It is!
If you have any questions or anything I'll be on Kik.
Okay, I will. That makes me feel a lot better. I will see you soon then, Inshallah!
Inshallah! Yalla, salaam aleykum.
Salaam aleykum. Bye.

[01:42:36.11]         Martin: So Michael Skramo, his wife Amanda and his mother-in-law, Umm Hamza are waiting for Sara, Asma, to come to the border. We're not sending her to Syria. They're not going to meet her. So Max shuts down everything. The computers come down, the social network comes down, the servers come down. Everything's into oblivion, as if it never happened. But for us the story isn't over. We really want to know, who is Michael Skramo? Who's his wife Amanda? And who's this Umm Hamza, the mother-in-law that's offering her son-in-law a second wife?

[01:43:16.17]         (SUPER) GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN

[01:43:22.25]         (Skramo speaking foreign language)

[01:43:24.22]         (Subtitle) The one who dies and knows that nothing is worthy of worship except Allah- goes to Paradise.

[01:43:35.28]         (SUPER) MICHAEL SKRAMO GREW UP IN GOTHENBURG, SWEDEN

[01:43:46.09]         (SUPER) HE WAS A STUDENT, CHEF, HIP HOP MUSICIAN AND A JUGGLER.

[01:43:53.05]         (SUPER) HE CONVERTED TO ISLAM IN 2004.

[01:43:59.06]         (Subtitle) You cannot believe in Allah, the End Days, and seek friendship with those who defy the will of Allah and His Messenger.

[01:44:11.01]         Ulf: Michael Skramo is dangerous, he is a terrorist. He is a Jihadist.

[01:44:18.14]         (SUPER) Ulf Bustrom Swedish Police

[01:44:19.03]         Ulf: What I know about Michael Skramo is that he had contact with several different Muslim sects. From Sufi sects to other sects. He was all around. Probably searching for some meaning. During that period he got more and more radicalized.

[01:44:54.15]         (SUPER) SWEDISH TV DABATE ON ISLAMOPHOBIA

[01:44:58.09]         (Subtitle) What's your name?
Michael.
Are you a Muslim?
Yes. The political leaders in Switzerland say Minarets (Mosques) are weapons. That's propaganda. It leads people to believe that Minarets (Mosques) are a threat. This prejudice comes from ignorance about Islam.

[01:45:27.11]         (SUPER) In 2008, Michael Skramo met his wife Amanda.

[01:45:32.12]         Erikson: Amanda Pape Gonzales, well, she was part of . . .

[01:45:35.01]         (SUPER) Kenneth Eriksson High School Teacher

[01:45:36.06]         Erikson: . . .an ordinary theater class at our school, and I was head of class. And, well, she was the ordinary, like, hip hop girl in the fall as a freshman. But we had a Christmas break, naturally, and when she had returned, she had put some light cloth on her head. Over the year, she became more heavily covered. In typical Muslim gear. In the sophomore year she jumped out of the theater production that they were going to do and actually left school.

[01:46:14.02]         (SUPER) Magnus Sandelin Investigative Journalist Swedish Islamic Jihadism Expert

[01:46:21.17]         Magnus: Michael Skramo and Amanda Gonzales visited this Mosque and also other people from this district went to this mosque. From this area, several people went to Syria to joining ISIS and such groups.

[01:46:49.24]         (SUPER) IN 2014, MICHAEL, AMANDA, THEIR CHILDREN AND AMANDA'S MOTHER (AKA UMM HAMZA) MOVED TO THE ISLAMIC STATE.

[01:46:59.16]         Magnus: This is a text Michael Skramo published on his Facebook page one year ago. He writes that you should go out and kill people in Sweden. A beautiful revenge for the Muslims who have been slaughtered. It's scary. Because he really thinks like this.

[01:47:22.22]         (SUPER) IN JUNE 2016 MAGNUS RECEIVED AN ONLINE THREAT FROM MICHAEL SKRAMO.

[01:47:28.04]         Magnus: He writes that I should stop to make research about him. I don't like that you put yourself into my life. If you continue, I will put myself into your life. And when it comes from a person like Michael Skramo, ISIS member, it's a threat. He writes it four times. Four times.

[01:48:00.27]         (SUPER) DURING OUR FILMING A POLICE INFORMANT GIVES US AN UNEXPECTED TIP.

[01:48:06.08]         Magnus: An informant told us that Michael Skramo's mother-in-law, she arrived from Syria to Gothenburg just a few months ago.

[01:48:20.05]         (SUPER) Ulrika Pape (Michael Skramo's mother in law) in 1999

[01:48:27.15]         (SUPER) in 2007

[01:48:32.18]         (SUPER) in 2015 becomes Umm Hamza ISIS Recruiter

[01:48:40.12]         Martin: Take this disc. It has a voice recording which I think might be Ulrika Pape, who is Michael Skramo's mother-in-law, Amanda's mother. I just want you to hear it a few times and tell me what you think we can do with it, okay?

[01:49:01.07]         Voice on recording: He likes everything. He likes going out, he's a cook, chef. He's also very committed to Islam, but when I'm down, he always push me up. He brings me up. He's positive and glad and sometimes serious.

[01:49:22.03]         Magnus: Well, I suggest that we can see if we can get in contact with Michael's mother-n-law. She lives here in Gothenburg.

[01:49:56.12]         (Magnus knocking)

[01:50:01.16]         (Subtitle) Who is it?
Hello, Magnus Sandelin is my name, are you Ulrika?
Just a moment.
Ulrika: Hello.
Magnus: Hello my name is Magnus. I'm a journalist.
When did you come back from Syria?
Half a year ago.
How long were you there for?
Ah, come inside instead.
We should not disturb the neighbors.

[01:50:34.22]         (Super) SURPRISINGLY, SHE INVITES US IN.

[01:50:38.17]         (SUPER) HIDDEN CAMERA

[01:50:38.16]         (Subtitle) You love birds.
But this bird is going today. I will take this one away and take it out of cage here. How did you find me?
The database.
How did you, if I may ask you, how did you get out?
It's not that easy to get out. I escaped. I say escape because they don't allow people to go. People are not free to go as they please. So, I was waiting a couple of months close to the border in Turkey. Finally, one day we get out.
I've not been to Syria in many, many years. What's it like now?
Except for the bombs, it's very good.
The bombs must be horrible. The Allies are blasting it all the time.
Yes, it's getting worse. Today I heard they are advancing. To be living there, it was awesome it was good. And, for woman it was safer for me there, than going here.
Really, why is that?
No one harasses me, attacks me, rude to me, but here. I felt more free there, than here.

[01:52:13.20]         (SUPER) ISIS SEX SLAVE MARKET

[01:52:17.12]         (Subtitle) Today is market day.
Each one takes his share (girl).
I swear man, I am searching for a girl. I hope I find one.
Today is the (sex) slave market day and we want our share.
Who wants to sell?
I want to sell.
I pay 3 banknotes (300 dollars)
I buy her for a pistol.
It's a different price if she has blue eyes.
I will sell her for a Glock!
I will pay 5 banknotes (500 dollars).
It depends on how she looks like.
If she is 15 years old...I have to check her teeth! Check her teeth!
If she doesn't have teeth, why would I want her?

[01:53:00.08]         (Subtitle) It's a big playground.
It's a very dangerous playground.
Yes, it's true, and the civilians die.
Is Michael fighting over there?
Yes.
Is Michael happy there, he feels content there?
Yes.
Even now, with all the trouble?
Yes. I can't see Michael as a terrorist. I don't see him like that, because he as a Muslim, you cry for your people, for your Uma. He's a good man, he takes care for everything. If a Muslim is defending himself he is a terrorist. But who are attacking Muslim countries. Who?
I guess the United States, and France, and...
Belgium, England they are terrorists.
It was his choice to go over there. Michael's?
I'm more worried about my daughter.
Of course.
And their children. She has how many children?
Five.
Are they small?
Yes. Five, four, three, two, two, one. How much do you know about her story? Why she went?
Not much at all.
She didn't leave because she was convinced of the Caliphate or something like that. She was more afraid the [Swedish] government would take her kids. From an accident. The hospital thought she was abusing the children, and she was attempting to kill her son.
Oh my God.
They started to prosecute her. And then she got the advice to leave. That's why we left.
How many children do you have?
I have four. Amanda is the oldest. She's twenty-six now.
And how did they handle it all?
They are fine, they're ok.
That's good.
But they also miss Syria for the children, for the life.
They had friends there?
Yes.

[01:55:09.26]         (SUPER) ISIS video: Education for foreign children

[01:55:56.01]         (Subtitle) Are you going to make a new life for youself?
I can't go back to the old one. Because this has changed everything for me. It's been a hard time since I arrived. I crashed mentally. I don't know what to do.

[01:56:26.00]         Ulf: The things that Michael Skramo and his fellows are doing down in Syria and other places could fall back on Sweden. And we have already seen a lot of different terror actions in Europe. And we would be quite foolish if we said that this could never happen to Sweden. It's only a matter of time.

[01:56:59.08]         (SUPER) MORE THAN 300 SWEDES HAVE JOINED ISIS.

[01:57:03.25]         (SUPER) OVER 100 HAVE RETURNED TO SWEDEN.

[01:57:10.18]         (SUPER) JUST THREE HAVE BEEN PROSECUTED.

[01:57:14.14]         (SUPER) IN 2016 SWEDEN TOUGHENED ITS TERRORISM LAWS, BUT NOT RETROACTIVELY.

[01:58:00.03]         (End of video)