Philippe Ben-Balla was born in Paris of an Algerian mother and an unknown father. He spent his early childhood living in the city of Brest. When he was four, his mother died and his rearing became the duty of his mother’s sister.
In early adolescence, he was told that his father was an Algerian rebel leader named Ben-Balla. Believing the tale, he took the name of Philippe Ben-Balla and assumed a rebellious attitude toward all authority. In an attempt to keep him under control, his aunt arranged for him to marry an Arab princess and he quickly fathered two sons. A few years later, he had a daughter, Alba.
Philippe became a powerful man with international connections. He controlled the drug routes across the Sahara, was an arms dealer, and provided security for several despots. His family was in Baghdad when Kuwait was invaded. To insure his loyalty and continued support, Saddam held his family hostage. His operatives were able to rescue Alba from her captors, but his wife and sons perished in an American attack.
Fearing for Alba’s safety, Philippe hid her in Barcelona. His Aunt Helene acted as the guardian for his surviving child.
Philippe’s empire continued to grow and in 1996 he had a daughter outside of marriage, Candace, by an American woman.
In 2000, he was diagnosed with a malignancy and several of his lieutenants tried to take advantage of his perceived weakness. The attacks of September 11th futher disrupted his business dealings and his hold on power began to slip.
In 2004, a catastrophic hurricane ruined his hideaway in Grand Cayman and he bid his lover adieu. He retreated to the home of his daughter in Barcelona and she sacrificed her career to dote over him. As his criminal network continued to erode, he became despondent and sought redemption in religion.
In 2006, the drug smuggling routes he had held onto were wrested away by an underling who had established a relationship with the Al-Qaeda network. Philippe then began planning his mission of vengeance. He reasoned that by avenging the death of his sons, Allah would forgive his past and restore his health. His act of revenge would lead to the collapse of the Western world and result in a worldwide caliphate.
The target of his vengeance was former president George H. W. Bush.
