GANGSTERS & OUTLAWS > COPS & OTHER CHARACTERS

Jonathan Idema: Our Man in Kabul

Seven Raids, Fourteen Terrorists

By the end of that long day, Idema, who called himself a freelance counterterrorism expert, and the five men he dubbed "Task Force Saber 7" had rounded up most of the men he believed to be linked to the terrorist plot he had detailed in his report.

House & Jail used by Idema

"I just busted the largest terror cell since 9-11," Idema boasted to Stuff the next morning, "Seven raids...fourteen terrorists...Caught one in a desert raid in the middle of the day, caught the next one in a raid in the middle of the night, caught the next one in another raid in some other village early in the morning. Caught more after that." He had already turned to the International Security Assistance Forces for help. German bomb-sniffing dogs had found traces of explosives in one of the prisoner's cars, explosives Idema would later identify as Alpha 1 X2, a rare TNT-like substance, as well as aluminum magnesium incendiary explosives. Although it had been a long haul, Idema was pumped. "I'm wide awake doing interrogations," he said.

Idema was certain that news of the daring and successful raids would restore his reputation as a warrior to be reckoned with, and change the U.S. and coalition's opinion of him. "It's already changed," he said. "Everybody's talking. They all just kissed my ass over the last five days. Except for the stupid American army. The Americans wouldn't help us one single bit. We had to borrow flex cuffs from the Swedish."

But Idema's moment of glory was short-lived.