ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror (33 page)

 151 
Al-Zawahiri issued two communiqués: Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri, “Move Forward, O Lions of Sham,” The Global Islamic Media Front, 2012,
azelin.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/dr-ayman-al-e1ba93awc481hirc4ab-22onward-oh-lions-of-syria22-en.pdf
.

 151 
Al-Zawahiri excoriated the al-Assad regime: Sheikh Ayman Al-Zawahiri, “Move Forward, O Lions of Sham,” The Global Islamic Media Front, April 26, 2012,
worldanalysis.net/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2125
.

CHAPTER 10

 157 
The idea that a Kurd would join ISIS: Samantha Power,
A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
(New York: HarperCollins, 2007), 244.

 158 
ISIS’s spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani: “Abu Speech: Jihadist Kurds of Halabja Attack Lead ‘Islamic State’ Kobani,” (
درك يداهج »باطخ وبأ
«
ةلودلا« موجه
دوقي ةجبلح نم ي ينابوك ىلع»ةيمالسالا
) Al-Quds Al-Arabi, October 10, 2014,
www.alquds.co.uk/?p=233274
.

 158 
Charities that were started: “Kuwaiti Charity Designated for Bankrolling al Qaida Network,” US Department of the Treasury, June 13, 2008,
www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/hp1023.aspx
.

 158 
after decades of proselytization: Salem al-Haj, “Issue: Islamic Tide in Iraq’s Kurdistan File Historical Reading,” (
فلم ددعلا: دملا يمالسالا يف ناتسدرك قارع لا ةءارق ةيخيرات
) Al Hiwar. February 7, 2014,
alhiwarmagazine.blogspot.ae/2014/02/blog-post_5030.html
.

 158 
In Syria the Kurdish turn to ISIS: Jordi Tejel,
Syria’s Kurds: History, Politics, and Society
(New York: Routledge, 2009), 90, 102.

 159 
Al-Baghdadi’s deputy: “Abu Muslim al-Turkmani: From Iraqi Officer to Slain ISIS Deputy,” Al Arabiya News, December 19, 2014,
english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/profiles/2014/12/19/Abu-Muslim-al-Turkmani-From-Iraqi-officer-to-slain-ISIS-deputy.html
.

 159 
Abu al-Athir al-Absi: Radwan Mortada, “Al-Qaeda Leaks II: Baghdadi Loses His Shadow,”
Al-Akhbar
, January 14, 2014,
english.al-akhbar.com/node/18219
/18219.

 159 
Al-Absi formed a group: Suhaib Anjarini, “The War in Syria: ISIS’s most Succesful Investment Yet,”
Al-Akhbar
, June 11, 2014,
english.al-akhbar.com/node/20133
/20133.

 159 
Al-Absi took a hard line: Mortada, 2014.

 159 
According to Wael Essam: Interview with one of the authors, November 2014.

 160 
Al-Absi was one of his staunchest defenders: Anjarini, 2014.

 161 
others fell out with their original insurgencies: Mitchell Prother, “ISIS’s Victories May Win It Recruits from Rival Syrian Rebel Groups,” McClatchy DC, June 23, 2014,
www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/23/231236_isiss-victories-may-win-it-recruits.html
.

 161 
issued a joint statement disavowing: “Syria Rebel Factions, Including al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, Reject Authority of US-Backed Opposition SNC,” CBS News, Septembe 25, 2013,
www.cbsnews.com/news/syria-rebel-factions-including-al-qaeda-linked-nusra-front-reject-authority-of-us-backed-opposition-snc
.

 161 
In October seven Islamist groups: “Charter of the Syrian Islamic Front,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, January 21, 2013,
carnegieendowment.org/syriaincrisis/?fa=50831
.

 161 
Some Islamic Front commanders: Joanna Paraszczuk, “Syria: Truce Between ISIS’s Abu Umar al-Shishani & Ahrar ash-Sham on Eastern Front in Aleppo Province, EA Worldview, January 8, 2014,
eaworldview.com/2014/01/syria-claimed-truce-abu-umar-al-shishani-ahrar-ash-sham-eastern-front
.

 161 
Liwa Dawud, once the most powerful: “1,000-strong Syrian Rebel Brigade Defects to Islamic State,” RT, July 11, 2014,
rt.com/news/171952-thousand-strong-defect-islamic-state
.

 162 
fighters from the Islamic Front: Yusra Ahmed, “Nusra Front Suffers Defections to Join Rival ISIS,” Zaman Al Wasl, October 24, 2014,
www.zamanalwsl.net/en/news/7205.html
.

 162 
ISIS benefits from the absence: Ahmed Abazid, “The Muslim Brotherhood and the Confused Position,” Zaman Al Wasl, March 28, 2014,
www.zamanalwsl.net/news/48054.html
.

 164 
In areas fully controlled by ISIS: Liz Sly, “The Islamic State is Failing at Being a State,”
Washington Post
, December 25, 2014,
www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/the-islamic-state-is-failing-at-being-a-state/2014/12/24/bfbf8962-8092-11e4-b936-f3afab0155a7_story.html
.

 165 
had a reputation as a drug dealer: Ruth Sherlock, “Bodyguard of Syrian Rebel Who Defected to Isil Reveals Secrets of the Jihadist Leadership,”
The Telegraph
, November 10, 2014,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/islamic-state/11221995/Bodyguard-of-Syrian-rebel-who-defected-to-Isil-reveals-secrets-of-the-jihadist-leadership.html
.

 165 
Aamer al-Rafdan joined ISIS: Anjarini, 2014.

 166 
In an article for the
New Statesman
: Shiraz Maher, “From Portsmouth to Kobane: The British Jihadis Fighting for Isis,”
NewStatesman
, November 6, 2014,
www.newstatesman.com/2014/10/portsmouth-kobane
.

 167 
by September 2014 the CIA calculated: “CIA Says IS Numbers Underestimated,”
Al Jazeera
, September 12, 2014,
www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/09/cia-triples-number-islamic-state-fighters-201491232912623733.html
.

 167 
Missionary jihadists who were driven: interview with one of the authors, November 2014.

 167 
ISIS benefited from the Assadist massacres: Interviews with Syrian activists and rebels, 2013–2014.

 168 
Armed with knives and light weapons: Kyle Orton, “What to do About Syria: Sectarianism and the Minorities,” The Syrian Intifada blog, December 24, 2014,
kyleorton1991.wordpress.com/2014/12/24/what-to-do-about-syria-sectarianism-and-the-minorities
.

 168 
Videos of torture also showed: Rafida and Nusayris are derogatory terms for Shia and Alawites respectively.

 168 
Saudi nationals often point to: “Kawalis al-Thawra Program, 7
th
episode with Mousa al-Ghannami,” (
سيلاوك ةروث لا- ةقلحلا ةعب اسلا-قيبطت دودحلا نيب ةمكح عرشلا لهجو شعاد
) YouTube video, 36:13, posted by
ىسوم يمانغلا
, December 20, 2014,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYtJ0XNMoKI
.

CHAPTER 11

 170 
Slightly overstating the power of social media: “Head to Head—Will ISIL Put an End to Iraq?” YouTube video, 47:27, posted by Al Jazeera English, November 21, 2014,
http://youtu.be/XkJl9UbG2lo
.

 170 
Two weeks before the fall of the city: Nico Prucha, “Is This the Most Successful Release of a Jihadist Video Ever?” Jihadica blog, May 19, 2014,
www.jihadica.com/is-this-the-most-successful-release-of-a-jihadist-video-ever
. Video can be found at
ihadology.net/2014/05/17/al-furqan-media-presents-a-new-video-message-from-the-islamic-state-of-iraq-and-al-sham-clanging-of-the-swords-part-4
.

 173 
This not only maximized its viewership: J.M. Berger, “How ISIS Games Twitter,”
The Atlantic
, June 16, 2014,
www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/isis-iraq-twitter-social-media-strategy/372856
.

 175 
In the videos, this hadith is recited: “The Failed Crusade,”
Dabiq
, Issue 4, October 2014,
media.clarionproject.org/files/islamic-state/islamic-state-isis-magazine-Issue-4-the-failed-crusade.pdf
.

 175 
Al-Baghdadi claimed to be a descendent: Hashim, 2014.

 177 
One of ISIS’s governors, Hussam Naji Allami: “Mufti ‘Daash’ Legitimate: Hedma Shrines of Mosul, on the Basis of the ‘Modern Prophetic,’” Al-Ghad, November 17, 2014,
www.alghad.com/articles/836900
.

 177 
the US State Department created a Twitter: Think AgainTurn Away, Twitter post, January 15, 2015, 11:04 a.m.,
twitter.com/ThinkAgain_DOS/status/555802610083852289
.

 177 
Three days earlier, as the world was recovering: Dan Lamothe, “US Military Social Media Accounts Apparently Hacked by Islamic State Sympathizers,”
Washington Post
, January 12, 2015,
www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/01/12/centcom-twitter-account-apparently-hacked-by-islamic-state-sympathizer
.

 178 
Though the White House downplayed: Eli Lake and Josh Rogin, “Islamic State’s Psychological War on US Troops,”
Bloomberg View
, January 15, 2015,
www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-01-15/islamic-states-psychological-war-on-us-troops
; “ISIS Supporters Just Hacked the US Military’s CENTCOM Twitter Account.” Vox, posted by Zack Beauchamp, January 12, 2015,
www.vox.com/2015/1/12/7532363/centcom-hack-isis
.

CHAPTER 12

 180 
as the Associated Press reported: Bradley Klapper and Kimberly Dozier, “Al-Qaeda Building Well-Organized Network in Syria: US Intelligence Officials,”
National Post
, August 10, 2015,
news.nationalpost.com/2012/08/10/al-qaeda-building-well-organized-network-in-syria
.

 180 
And al-Zawahiri’s exhortation had paid off: Bradley Klapper and Kimberly Dozier, “US Officials: al-Qaeda Gaining Foothold in Syria,” Yahoo! News, August 10, 2012,
news.yahoo.com/us-officials-al-qaida-gaining-foothold-syria-201207990.html
.

 180 
The rebels were also growing: Julian Borger, “Syria Crisis: West Loses Faith in SNC to Unite Opposition Groups,”
The Guardian
, August 14, 2012,
www.theguardian.com/world/2012/aug/13/syria-opposition-groups-national-council
.

 181 
In a survey of the opposition: “Syrian Opposition Survey: June 1– July 2, 2012,” The
International Republican Institute and Pechter Polls,
iri.org/sites/default/files/2012%20August%2017%20Survey%20of%20Syrian%20Opposition,%20June%201-July%202,%202012.pdf
.

 181 
On December 11, 2012, the US Treasury Department: “Treasury Sanctions Al-Nusrah Front Leadership in Syria and Militias Supporting the Asad Regime,” US Department of the Treasury, December 11, 2012,
www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1797.aspx
.

 182 
In December 2012, Syrians held: Ruth Sherlock, “Syrian Rebels Defy US and Pledge Allegiance to Jihadi Group,”
The Telegraph
, December 10, 2012,
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9735988/Syrian-rebels-defy-US-and-pledge-allegiance-to-jihadi-group.html
.

 182 
the first al-Qaeda agent to confirm: Rania Abouzedi, “How Islamist Rebels in Syria Are Ruling a Fallen Provincial Capital,”
TIME
, March 23, 2013,
world.time.com/2013/03/23/how-islamist-rebels-in-syria-are-ruling-a-fallen-provincial-capital
.

 183 
US Marines had famously helped: Paul Wood, “The Day Saddam’s Statue Fell,” BBC News, April 9, 2004,
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3611869.stm
.

 183 
Suddenly Islamists had just toppled: Rania Abouzeid, “A Black Flag in Raqqa,”
New Yorker
, April 2, 2013,
www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-black-flag-in-raqqa
.

 183 
Pamphlets were distributed: Abouzeid, March 2013.

 183 
In the
New Yorker
, Rania Abouzeid reconstructed: Abouzeid, April 2013.

 184 
Al-Baghdadi didn’t just confine his message: Rita Katz and Adam Raisman, “Special Report on the Power Struggle Between al-Qaeda Branches and Leadership,” INSITE on Terrorism blog, June 25, 2013,
news.siteintelgroup.com/blog/index.php/about-us/21-jihad/3195-special-report-on-the-power-struggle-between-al-qaeda-branches-and-leadership-al-qaeda-in-iraq-vs-al-nusra-front-and-zawahiri
.

 184 
al-Jolani left absolutely no doubt: Ibid.

 184 
What followed was a brief media intermission: Ibid.

 185 
Al-Zawhiri thereby “dissolved” ISIS: “Translation of al-Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri’s Letter to the Leaders of the Two Jihadi Groups,” accessed January 18, 2015,
s3.documentcloud.org/documents/710588/translation-of-ayman-al-zawahiris-letter.pdf
.

 185 
Al-Suri, who was killed: Thomas Joscelyn, “Al Qaeda’s Chief Representative in Syria Killed in Suicide Attack,” The Long War Journal, February 23, 2014,
www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/02/zawahiris_chief_repr.php
.

 185 
was a veteran al-Qaeda agent: “Sources in Aleppo, Syrian Net: Syrian Regime Released from Abu Musab al-Suri and his Assistant Abu Khaled, Observers See a Threat to Washington,” Aleppo Syrian Net, December 23, 2011, Accessed January 3, 2015,
www.sooryoon.net/archives/41907
.

 185 
He had helped found: Caleb Weiss, “Caucasus Emirate Eulogizes Slain Ahrar al Sham Leaders,” The Long War Journal, September 15, 2014,
www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/09/caucasus_emirate_eul.php
.