den ▁camp . ▁Although ▁he ▁decl ined ▁the ▁offer , ▁Z ub ay d ah ▁sent ▁him ▁an ▁entry ▁vis a ▁for ▁Pakistan ▁hoping ▁to ▁persu ade ▁him ▁to ▁return . ▁El z ah abi ▁decided ▁against ▁the ▁idea . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 9 , ▁he ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁Leb anon . ▁He ▁left ▁briefly ▁to ▁perform ▁the ▁ha j j ▁pil gr image ▁to ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia , ▁but ▁returned ▁to ▁Leb anon , ▁where ▁he ▁trained ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁f igh ters ▁for ▁Kan j , ▁his ▁friend ▁from ▁the ▁Afghan ▁cam ps . ▁He ▁trained ▁a ▁group ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Al - D inn ay y ah ▁Reb els . ▁▁ ▁He ▁went ▁to ▁fight ▁as ▁a ▁sni per ▁in ▁the ▁Second ▁Che chen ▁War , ▁although ▁later ▁claimed ▁he ▁re called ▁firing ▁his ▁rif le ▁just ▁once , ▁at ▁a ▁Russian ▁soldier ▁on ▁a ▁bul ld oz er . ▁He ▁said ▁he ▁was ▁more ▁interested ▁in ▁finding ▁a ▁b ride . ▁United ▁States ▁officials ▁claim ▁he ▁was ▁later ▁given ▁$ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁an ▁unknown ▁party ▁who ▁asked ▁him ▁to ▁carry ▁it ▁into ▁the ▁emb att led ▁Russian ▁region . ▁ ▁El z ah abi ▁moved ▁to ▁Montreal , ▁Quebec , ▁Canada , ▁where ▁he ▁lived ▁with ▁family ▁members . ▁Ref used ▁ ▁citizens hip , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁in ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁ ▁Return ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁El z ah