Osama Bin Laden and other suspected al-Qaeda leaders are reportedly concerned about recent drop-offs in terrorist training camp recruits due to reports of hazing.
Terrorism al-Qaeda Tech, the training camp for top terrorist recruits, has seen a dramatic decrease in applicants.
Said registrar Ulluh al-Saleh, "It doesn't seem to be enough anymore to want to die for Allah and receive martyrdom. These young men want certain assurances, and one of the key things I'm hearing is that they don't want to put up with hazing rituals."
One potential terrorist decided to pass on attending Terrorism al-Qaeda Tech because a friend had gone there and endured hazing that almost caused him to withdraw.
"Mind you, a school for terrorism has some pretty nasty hazing traditions," Omaba Hanzal said. "My friend made it through but told me he wouldn't necessarily recommend it. They had him eating live scorpions."
Hanzal said he decided to go to nursing school instead and that he hopes to one day work with children whose limbs have been blown off in bombings.
al-Saleh fears that growing competition from other career choices in the Middle East - from Quran sales to auto body repair (a booming business over the last few years) - has cut into his recruitment efforts.
"Scholarship opportunities aren't even enough to lure many of the young people today," al-Saleh said. "It's more about, 'What can you do for me?' and 'What do I have to gain?' than about bringing devastation to the infidel capitalist swine. It's very disheartening."
