MEE and agencies

October 20, 2015

(MiddleEastEye) The son of a British film director was unmasked on Monday as having gone to fight in Syria’s civil war with al-Qaeda affiliate the Nusra Front. Lucas Kinney, 26, has appeared in online videos for Nusra and encouraged people to join the group in its battle to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

His father is 59-year-old Patrick Kinney, who worked with Steven Spielberg on films that include Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, according to the Daily Mail.

The younger Kinney was once in a band called Hannah’s Got Herpes before converting to Islam from Catholicism and joining Nusra.

Kinney is known in Nusra as Abu Basir al-Britani.

His mother Deborah Phipps told the Mail that she did not know how her son, who she stays in touch with her via email, had ended up fighting with a group affiliated to al-Qaeda.

Phipps, who is divorced from Kinney’s father, said she was concerned he could be killed – either in the war or by a UK drone strike.

“Lucas is a target. I’m glad he’s associated with al-Qaeda rather than IS, but obviously I worry,” she told the Mail.

It was revealed in September that the UK had launched strikes in Syria killing two British citizens who were members of IS – the government had said they were a threat to British security.

Jabhat al-Nusra’s (AQ) Abu Basir al-Britani ID’d as Lucas Kinney, former member of rock band “Hannah’s Got Herpes.” pic.twitter.com/IkSYEFjkvK — Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) October 19, 2015

This article (Member of al-Qaeda Affiliate in Syria Unmasked as Son of Hollywood Director) originally appeared on MiddleEastEye.net and was used with permission. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, email edits@theantimedia.org.