“Viewpoint” host Eliot Spitzer talks to Current TV’s Christof Putzel about Omar Hammami, an American-born member of the al-Qaida-affiliated Somali terrorist group Al Shabaab.
Hammami — who was reported as having been killed in April — made contact with Current TV three weeks ago, after watching Putzel’s 2010 “Vanguard” documentary about Hammami, “American Jihadi.” Putzel spoke with Hammami’s parents, Shafik and Debra Hammami, about the news that their son is alive and shares clips from that conversation — their first in-depth, on-camera interview since their son disappeared in 2006.
Spitzer asks Putzel if he has any sense as to how Hammami went from being a regular American kid to a terrorist. “You can never underestimate the power of faith,” Putzel answers. “Faith is an incredibly strong driver. When Omar converted to Islam, he found his path.”
For more insight, watch Spitzer’s prior interview with Putzel here. Read Putzel’s blog post on this unfolding story here.
