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BEIRUT — The Islamic State ­appears to be starting to fray from within, as dissent, defections and setbacks on the battlefield sap the group’s strength and erode its aura of invincibility among those living under its despotic rule.

Reports of rising tensions between foreign and local fighters, aggressive and increasingly unsuccessful attempts to recruit local citizens for the front lines, and a growing incidence of guerrilla attacks against Islamic State targets suggest the militants are struggling to sustain their carefully cultivated image as a fearsome fighting force drawing Muslims together under the umbrella of a utopian Islamic state.

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“The key challenge facing ISIS right now is more internal than external,” she said, using another term for the group. “We’re seeing basically a failure of the central tenet of ISIS ideology, which is to unify people of different origins under the caliphate. This is not working on the ground. It is making them less effective in governing and less effective in military operations.”

Most striking are the growing signs of friction between the foreigners lured by its state-building experiment and local recruits, who have grown resentful of the preferential treatment meted out to the expatriates, including higher salaries and better living conditions.

...

Many of the foreigners show little inclination to travel to the front lines, he said. “They just want to live in the Islamic State,” he said. “They didn’t come to fight.”

How useful they would be to the Islamic State’s military efforts is also in question, said the Carnegie Middle East Center’s Khatib.

“Ultimately, they are only attracting people on the margins of society, without much education or useful skills,” she said. “It’s not exactly bolstering their military capability.”

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ISIS destroys more ancient artifacts in Iraq



ISIS thugs have now destroyed three ancient cities in Iraq including Hatra, a UNESCO Heritage Site that is 200 miles north of Baghdad.

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

Islamic State appears to be fraying from within

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BEIRUT — The Islamic State ­appears to be starting to fray from within, as dissent, defections and setbacks on the battlefield sap the group’s strength and erode its aura of invincibility among those living under its despotic rule.

Reports of rising tensions between foreign and local fighters, aggressive and increasingly unsuccessful attempts to recruit local citizens for the front lines, and a growing incidence of guerrilla attacks against Islamic State targets suggest the militants are struggling to sustain their carefully cultivated image as a fearsome fighting force drawing Muslims together under the umbrella of a utopian Islamic state.

Not that this was unexpected, although it puts the notion that "the sky is falling" in better perspective.

quote:

“The key challenge facing ISIS right now is more internal than external,” she said, using another term for the group. “We’re seeing basically a failure of the central tenet of ISIS ideology, which is to unify people of different origins under the caliphate. This is not working on the ground. It is making them less effective in governing and less effective in military operations.”

Most striking are the growing signs of friction between the foreigners lured by its state-building experiment and local recruits, who have grown resentful of the preferential treatment meted out to the expatriates, including higher salaries and better living conditions.

...

Many of the foreigners show little inclination to travel to the front lines, he said. “They just want to live in the Islamic State,” he said. “They didn’t come to fight.”

How useful they would be to the Islamic State’s military efforts is also in question, said the Carnegie Middle East Center’s Khatib.

“Ultimately, they are only attracting people on the margins of society, without much education or useful skills,” she said. “It’s not exactly bolstering their military capability.”

Is this the beginning of the end for the Islamic State?

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ORIGINAL: BamaD
Ignore them and they will go away, you did see that Boko Haram has joined with them?

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

Islamic State appears to be fraying from within

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BEIRUT — The Islamic State ­appears to be starting to fray from within, as dissent, defections and setbacks on the battlefield sap the group’s strength and erode its aura of invincibility among those living under its despotic rule.

Reports of rising tensions between foreign and local fighters, aggressive and increasingly unsuccessful attempts to recruit local citizens for the front lines, and a growing incidence of guerrilla attacks against Islamic State targets suggest the militants are struggling to sustain their carefully cultivated image as a fearsome fighting force drawing Muslims together under the umbrella of a utopian Islamic state.

Not that this was unexpected, although it puts the notion that "the sky is falling" in better perspective.

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ORIGINAL: Zonie63

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ORIGINAL: BamaD
Ignore them and they will go away, you did see that Boko Haram has joined with them?

Boko Haram is on the run and cornered by Nigerian forces from the south, and now Chad and Niger (a Muslim-majority country) have joined in the fighting against Boko Haram. So, maybe they think if they join up with them, ISIS will send them aid, although they may not be in a position where they can do much of anything at this point. ISIS is pretty well tied down and surrounded; Boko Haram is tied down and surrounded. And they're both far away from each other and can't really link up or do much of anything to help each other. It's like a sinking ship sending a distress call to another sinking ship.

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ORIGINAL: kdsub

Lucy...can we not be sarcastic anymore? I was trying to give you a taste of out-state Missouri and what they believe. I must admit i was hoping to get a rise out of tweak or politesub....

Butch

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ORIGINAL: BamaD

Right, ignore them and they will go away. Nothing to worry about.

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ORIGINAL: PeonForHer

FR

This is worth a look: long, but detailed and readable article about ISIS's raison d'etre. Buried in it is the observation that, to add to it's already prolific list of noble and lovable qualities, ISIS is racist. Boko Haram is made up of people of the wrong colour, basically.