"Isis: the inside story" - (or how Camp Bucca created Isis)

[ryoder 1,590]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-isis-the-inside-story

Interesting account of the creation from a disillusioned insider:

He agreed to speak publicly after more than two years of discussions, over the course of which he revealed his own past as one of Iraq’s most formidable and connected militants – and shared his deepening worry about Isis and its vision for the region. With Iraq and Syria ablaze, and the Middle East apparently condemned to another generation of upheaval and bloodshed at the hands of his fellow ideologues, Abu Ahmed is having second thoughts. The brutality of Isis is increasingly at odds with his own views, which have mellowed with age as he has come to believe that the teachings of the Koran can be interpreted and not read literally.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[masterblaster72 0]

ryoder

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/11/-sp-isis-the-inside-story

Interesting account of the creation from a disillusioned insider:

He agreed to speak publicly after more than two years of discussions, over the course of which he revealed his own past as one of Iraq’s most formidable and connected militants – and shared his deepening worry about Isis and its vision for the region. With Iraq and Syria ablaze, and the Middle East apparently condemned to another generation of upheaval and bloodshed at the hands of his fellow ideologues, Abu Ahmed is having second thoughts. The brutality of Isis is increasingly at odds with his own views, which have mellowed with age as he has come to believe that the teachings of the Koran can be interpreted and not read literally.

Very interesting story, and the insider's perspective is a new one that I haven't read before.

Turns out that those against the Iraq invasion in the early 2000s who warned of anti-US radicalization of the locals weren't so far off the mark after all. And now we're reaping what we've sown...

Be humble, ask questions, listen, learn, follow the golden rule, talk when necessary, and know when to shut the fuck up.

[jclalor 12]

Very interesting, especially about the jihadist entering from Syria. It's interesting how little we know about major events in the area until 10 years after the fact.

I spent a couple of weeks in Syria during November 2007, and at one point took a bus from Damascus to Palmyra, which is about 100 miles from the Iraqi border It seemed like 90% of the bus was filled with young men, even at the time it seemed a bit odd.

And FWIW, Palmyra was an absolutely amazing place.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmyra#/image/File:PalmyraPanorama.jpg