Though no outward mark remains of his transformation, it is clear Al Hadid is a man thoroughly changed. He had told me stories of the warrior forged from raw iron, of his outstanding strength and resilience, but also of the weeks during which the man had sat, unmoving, in the scorching desert heat, waiting for Kaid to open the Fortress' doors. My first meeting with Al Hadid took place not in my own office, but in the well-appointed private sanctuary of Jalal "Kaid" El Fassi. The rage he bears as a result of this inhumane treatment is something I have witnessed once, and hope to never see again. For over fifteen years he struggled for his freedom, moving between solitary confinement and different facilities. ![]() Torn from his family as a teenager, he was outside of Jordan - he won't say where - where he was incarcerated. Saif "Oryx" Al Hadid has lived an exceptional life. Rumors of Al Hadid's ferocity abound, but remain uncorroborated by field reports and should be disregarded. Now the unofficial second-in-command, Al Hadid maintains the Fortress during Kaid's absences and acts as a trusted advisor whenever the two of them are together. As the years passed, his role evolved, from recruit to steward to instructor. He next showed up as a cadet at Jalal "Kaid" El Fassi's Fortress. ![]() ![]() He learned wrestling in Istanbul, Muay Thai in Bangkok, tactical driving in Berlin, and precision marksmanship in Damascus, likely working for a paramilitary sponsor. He eventually broke free and resurfaced in Jordan, but stayed only long enough to obtain a new passport. For over fifteen years, Al Hadid struggled for his freedom and was frequently moved between solitary confinement and different facilities. He grew up in a small town adjacent to an air force base, and by all accounts led a normal life up until he was torn from his family as a teenager.
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