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'Irish Sam' Joins Fight in Syria

Housam Najjair, also known as "Irish Sam," discusses his forthcoming book and his experiences waging war against former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, writes Ali Hashem.

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Soldier of fortune Houssam al-Najjar, aka "Irish Sam," takes a rooftop position with an assault rifle, August 2012, "on a mission to Aleppo before we entered the city, providing recon info before the arrival of the humanitarian trucks delivering food to the fleeing refugees," he wrote. — Houssam al-Najjar

If Liam O'Flaherty, who died in 1984, were still alive, he might have considered writing another version of his famous short story The Sniper. This time the main character wouldn't be the IRA sniper who killed his brother; instead, it could be Housam Najjair, a Libyan-Irish man who decided to desert the comforts of Europe for the scorches of Libya and Syria.

Housam, aka "Irish Sam," was born in Ireland to a Libyan father and an Irish mother (who converted to Islam 30 years ago). A young man who seems to embrace an ambition that differs from that of fellow fighters. He's now preparing to publish his first book.

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