Eric Harroun

Eric Glenn Harroun (June 11, 1982 – April 8, 2014) was an American volunteer fighter with the Free Syrian Army during the Syrian Civil War.

Harroun had consistent behavioral issues throughout his early life and career. He served in the United States Army between 2000 and 2003 in a non-combat role, but was honorably discharged after being injured in a car crash in which all occupants of the car were intoxicated. He began visiting various Middle Eastern countries in the mid-2000s. He formally converted to Islam around 2008, but drank alcohol at a bar to celebrate his conversion. He also did not stop smoking or consuming pork.

He fought in Syria for around two months in early 2013. Initially, he fought for the Free Syrian Army, an ally of the United States. However, after getting separated during a battle with the Syrian Arab Army, he was held by the al-Nasser brigade under the al-Aqsa Islamic Brigades and forced to fight for them. After being released and thinking he fought alongside al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, he entered a US consulate in Turkey and was compelled to return to the United States. There, he was controversially arrested and held in solitary confinement until September. He faced potential life in prison or execution.

After it became clear that he had not willingly fought for any groups classified as terrorist organizations by the United States, Harroun accepted a plea deal with only minor charges and was released. However, he was severely physically and mentally affected by the months in solitary confinement, and his health deteriorated. A few months afterwards, he died of an accidental drug overdose on April 8, 2014.

Early life and education Eric Harroun was born on June 11, 1982, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to mother Shirley Ann and father Darryl Harroun. He had a younger sister, Sarah. In ninth grade, he was arrested for robbery and found with knives in his possession. After his mother reprimanded him, he choked her, leading her to call the police. He was bullied, had poor grades, and was eventually enrolled in a center for troubled youths. Eventually, he obtained his GED.

Military career and discharge (2000–2013)

Military career (2000–2003) From 2000 to 2003, Harroun served in the United States Army. He trained in the Fort Leonard Wood boot camp in Missouri. but was never deployed overseas.

Discharge and subsequent activities (2003–2013) A few weeks afterwards, Harroun was honorably discharged. He received full military benefits and monthly disability payments of around $2,500 His father acquired a restraining order against him. A Fox News article alleged that Harroun began identifying as a Muslim around this time after becoming close to two Iraqi-American brothers, but Harroun disputed this claim.

Activities in Syria (2013)

quote|I was separated from my unit in the fighting. I found these guys. I didn't even know they were al-Nusra until later. I said, "I need a ride back to my commander." It took 25 days to get them to give me a ride.

He posted many photographs and videos of his actions to social media sites (especially Facebook) showing himself handling various weapons (including RPG-7 rocket-propelled grenade launchers and AK-47 assault rifles ), which were quickly picked up by many news sources. In one video posted online, he addressed Syrian president Bashar al-Assad directly, telling him his "days are numbered". In another, he and his group of fighters claimed victory for downing a helicopter. At one point, Harroun's sister Sarah left an encouraging message on his Facebook wall, urging him to "keep fighting", and showing solidarity with both her brother and the Syrian people.

By late February, he made his way to Istanbul. He walked into the US Consulate, where he hoped to clear his name of suspicions that he was a terrorist and to simply request supplies and arms for the FSA. But instead, he was subjected to a series of interviews from the FBI and CIA over several days. charging him with using a weapon of mass destruction outside of the United States.

He appeared in court with his public defender in a hearing on April 8 in Alexandria (Virginia) and was denied bail. This echoed what he was previously told by the FBI officer at the US consulate, which had led Harroun to previously remark that it was "bullshit" that an American couldn't fight in Syria. He appeared in court again on July 8, and was ordered by the judge to remain in detention, pending trial. In court, Harroun's lawyer Geremy Kamens claimed he was confused when he claimed to have joined al-Nusra, wanted to avoid extremists, spoke little Arabic, and actually joined the al Nasser (Victory) brigade (an associate of Jabhat al-Nusra which is not classed as a terrorist organization).

Reception and reactions in the media Harroun was compared to various volunteer fighters, including Aukai Collins with the Chechen rebels, John Walker Lindh with the Taliban, and Matthew VanDyke with the Free Libyan Army. In regard to his arrest and former charges, Harroun's federal public defender Geremy Kamens said Harroun's case was "unique in American law" in that, "Never, to [Kamens'] knowledge, has the U.S. government charged a U.S. citizen for fighting with a group aligned with U.S. interests." He also claimed that Harroun's error was fighting with the wrong people, in a way which was ironically aligned with US government interests. Robert M. Chesney of The New York Times also shared the belief that Harroun was "fighting on the U.S. side, but with the wrong people." James Joyner at Outside the Beltway also supported this narrative. He claimed that the charges were not sufficient to warrant Harroun's imprisonment for life. He described Harroun as being possibly "wacko", but also conceded that "based only on the reporting I've seen – he doesn't appear to be an al Qaeda sympathizer, much less a terrorist" and that "there's no evidence in the news reports that Harroun has engaged in terrorism or any anti-American activities". Facebook pages were also created in solidarity with Harroun.

Harroun's father claimed that his son was "100 percent American" and alleged that his son was cooperating with the CIA while in Syria.

Plea deal and release Harroun was offered several plea deals before his final offer, including 15 years in prison and 5 years in prison. He turned these down. He later agreed to an interview with ABC15 Arizona, in which he defended himself against the charges he had faced and spoke at length about his time in Syria.

Under probation Harroun was in regular contact with an FBI case-officer offering tips including illicit pill shipments to Mexico and information on people expressing a willingness to travel to Syria. Harroun's mother stated that after every meeting he would appear "distraught" and that “Eric did not like what they had him doing.”

Death On April 9, 2014, Harroun's family posted on his Facebook page announcing his death a day earlier from an accidental overdose. Harroun's autopsy revealed acute levels of heroin and sertraline, an antidepressant, in his body. Methamphetamine, amphetamine, codeine, and trazodone were also detected. The medical examiner ruled his death an accident.

He was buried in a funeral attended by friends, family, and uniformed soldiers. According to Harroun's mother, the FBI task-force officer monitoring Harroun expressed regret for Harroun's death. As of April 2023, his parents have kept his Facebook page open in his memory.