(CNN) -- The story of Ahmad al-Shayea is the story of all that has been wrong -- and continues to be wrong -- with the United States and our allies' campaign against Islamist extremism. During 2004, Ahmad had fought for Al Qaeda in Iraq against the United States. Indeed, he became famous as the first suicide bomber in Iraq to survive his attack. Known as the "living suicide," Ahmad was rehabilitated, both physically and mentally, at a U.S. Army hospital before being repatriated to his home country of Saudi Arabia. I met Ahmad at the Saudi government center also designed to rehabilitate jihadi militants. Ahmad and I became friends. We spent several days together and continued a correspondence for years after I left Saudi Arabia, until Ahmad went back to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State (ISIS).
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Ken Ballen: Ahmad al-Shayea's story shows what's wrong with campaign against extremists
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He says Shayea rejected Al Qaeda, was rehabbed by West, but returned to fight with ISIS
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West fails to realize: Key to Islamist fighters is Muslim faith. Military force won't win, he says
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Ballen: Muslims must fight their radicals; U.S. can help expose leaders' un-Islamic hypocrisy
Similarly, of the more than 100 @placeholder radicals I've interviewed, the most prevalent reason they expressed for leaving the radical cause was its "un-Islamic ways."