"'A couple of years back I knew he entered a cult,' said Leon [friend of Jose Padilla, the 'dirty bomber'], who also kept in touch with the family after they moved. 'I know that because even his mom said it. He left the country. She was scared for him.' In the early 1990s, Padilla traveled to Afghanistan and Pakistan, meeting with senior al-Qaida officials last year, Ashcroft said. While in those countries, Padilla 'trained with the enemy, including studying how to wire explosive devices and researching radiological dispersion devices.'" Chicago Sun Times

"Now we are faced with the image of a young American, John Walker Lindh, willingly collaborating with the hated Taliban, espousing beliefs alien to American culture and ideals. Are we to condemn this young man or extend him our sympathy? Is he demon or victim? Certainly, anyone succumbing like this must, we assume, be weak, evil, addled or all three. This lack of sympathy is rooted in the belief that we cannot be "brainwashed" unless we want to be." LA Times

"Some experts say, is that al Qaeda is not a militant religious group, but a cult." Asia Week

Some commentators have made the point that Palestinian suicide bombers are "brainwashed" because they frequently appear upbeat in pre-attack messages and videos.

Is "brainwashing" an accurate term, since most accounts show that suicide-bombers are willing participants? i.e., they weren't directly coerced, but rather the whole culture of martyrdom imbued them with a desire to commit the attacks.