INTEL REPORT: Interview with an ISIS leader, Libya and Turkey with Analysis

ISIS LEADER INTERVIEW

The sin’at al-mawt (industry of death) program carried on the Saudi-owned, Dubai-based al-arabiyya TV on 28 June featured an interview with a top-ranked ISIS individual.  His name is El-yass Aaden, and his movement name was abu ‘Ubaydah at-Turki, indicating he was from Turkey.  Though Turkish, he spoke decent Arabic.  He was described as being in his late 20’s and one of the “prominent” leaders of ISIS.

He claimed to have studied religious law in Cairo, Egypt (likely done at al-Azhar), and then completed his education in Istanbul.  Even though Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of ISIS, had a PhD in Islamic jurisprudence, Abu ‘Ubaydah’s knowledge of scripture (and his probably having studied at al-Azhar) earned him the honorary title within ISIS as ameer shar’i w-mufti al-tanzheem (Prince of Shari’a law and expositor of scripture and declarer of fatwas for the ISIS organization).

He also claimed to be a member of the very tight inner circle for Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Abu Muhammad al-‘Adnani.  He said he first joined the an-Nusra front (al-Qaeda’s Syrian franchise), then moved over to ISIS because he found it to be closer to the truth (i.e. the “real” Islam as preached and lived by Muhammad).

He then became the primary intermediary between ISIS and Turkey.  In this capacity he claims to have recruited over 2,000 Turks to come and join ISIS.

He went on to say that there was no democracy in ISIS.  No political opposition.  Baghdadi and his inner circle decided everything.

When his interviewer asked him about the role of ISIS in the explosions (terrorist acts) at Sirouj and Ankara (in Turkey), he said that Sirouj was done without al-Baghdadi’s knowledge and approval, and it was done in coordination with Turkish Intelligence (MIT), and Turkish citizens from the Turkish army.  Sirouj (operation) was against the Kurds, he said.  As for Ankara, the operation in Ankara was done by the orders of Baghdadi, but also with the coordination of Turkey’s MIT, and it was directed against the Leftists.

(Note:  This comports with previous reporting that the ISIS “terrorist” attacks in Turkey were done against Kurds and other Erdogan opponents, and with the coordination of Turkish Intelligence, the purpose being to provide Erdogan with a pretext for entering the Syrian war, using the war against ISIS as cover for his campaign to exterminate Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis in proximity to Turkey’s borders.  The fake “ISIS” attacks inside Turkey itself also allowed Erdogan to punish political opponents.  Kill two birds with one stone.)

When the interviewer asked him why they killed the journalist James Foley, he replied that “Foley was a Jew.  All Jews and Christians are kufaar (unbelievers), and should be killed.”  (Note:  A U.S. diplomat name Larry Foley was assassinated in Jordan by the ISIS precursor, Abu Mus’ab az-Zarqawi’s group which was being hosted and sponsored by Saddam Hussein at the time.)

Abu ‘Ubaida said that the West had no argument with ISIS at first (note:  other reporting has indicated that the Obama administration considered ISIS to be an “asset”), and only turned against ISIS when ISIS began seizing OIL wells and selling it on the Black Market.  He said that Turkey bought their OIL, and then would turn around and sell it for twice what they paid for it.  (Note:  This confirms what had also been reported on previously).  But he also added that the Assad Syrian regime also bought OIL from ISIS when they needed it.

He claimed that Turkey formed the so-called “Free Syrian Army” for the purpose of buying weapons to turn around and sell them to ISIS, and for smuggling antiquities out of Iraq and Syria for sale on the Black Market.  He said there was no border between Turkey and ISIS, and that the Turks facilitated to flow of ISIS recruits into Syria.

LIBYA

As reported by al-arabiyya TV on 28 June, General al-Mismari, the spokeman for Gen. Haftar’s Libyan army besieging Libya’s capital Tripoli, while reiterating his claim that Turkey and Qatar are both intervening directly in Libya’s civil way, added that the Turkish navy is playing a more active role by operating drones that are attacking the positions of the Libyan army.

Al-Mismari then went on to threaten that the Libyan army will attack any Turkish ship entering Libyan waters, or otherwise engaging in hostile actions against Libya.  He added that no ship departing from a Turkish port will be allowed to enter Libyan waters, and no airplane departing from Turkey will be allowed to enter Libyan airspace.

On 29 June the Cairo-based al-ghad TV interviewed a Libyan journalist concerning the Portuguese pilot who was shot down near the al-Hira area of western Libya, and then captured by elements of Gen. Haftar’s Libyan army.  According to the interrogation of the downed pilot, he admitted to being a Portuguese citizen, and that he was hired to take out roads and bridges.

The Libyan journalist taking to the al-ghad TV anchor said that this Portuguese guy was the 2nd foreigner flying for the Sirraaj government in Tripoli that the Haftar group has shot down and captured in the last 15 days (though he did not identify the other pilot).  The Libyan journalist then added that the Sirraaj government has been using Pakistanis, Arabs, and Europeans as mercenaries.

In another segment by al-ghad TV, the anchor interviewed a “Libyan analyst” who added that Africans are also working as mercenaries for Tripoli.  Then he noted that Turkey is hiring all these mercenaries, training them, and then infiltrating them into Libya.

30 June, Libyan analysts reporting to al-arabiyya TV have complained that an ISIS group working for the UN-recognized Sirraaj government had entered a hospital and killed Libyan soldiers.  Libyans demand an international investigation for these warcrimes.

30 June, reports have come in that Gen. Haftar’s Libyan army has captured six Turkish soldiers fighting on behalf of the Sirraaj government in Tripoli.

Erdogan has threatened to enter the Libyan war in full force if any Turkish interests in Libya are hit, and if those Turkish “citizens” are not immediately freed.

TURKEY

On 29 June, popular Egyptian Talk show host ‘Amru Adeeb, on his show al-hakaya (the story) on MBC-Egypt TV, reported on Trump’s surrender to Turkish dictator Erdogan.  After repeating for months that if Turkey goes through with their plans to purchase S-400 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia, that the U.S. would block sales of the advanced F-35 to Turkey, Trump has done a 180.

The excuse Trump used, was that Obama did not treat Erdogan right!  Talk show host Adeeb repeated that with great sarcasm, and rightfully so.

During the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, after first snubbing Erdogan for his purchasing weapons from Russia, Trump suddenly reversed and gave Erdogan the green light to purchase the anti-aircraft missiles from Russia.  Trump then followed that up by saying that he would not boycott Turkey over its purchase of the Russian missiles.  We have to assume that this means that Trump wants to go ahead and sell F-35s to Turkey.

ANALYSIS:

So, what does all of this mean?  First, it means that Trump will not let anything stand in the way of his being able to sell F-35s to the planet’s #1 state sponsor of terrorism.  Not even his own word of honor.  Not even world peace.

Does anyone seriously believe that Erdogan, and/or whom ever follows him as Sultan of the new Ottoman Caliphate, will not use those super jets to exterminate even more Kurds, Christians, Yazidis, Jews, Assyrians, Greeks, and Armenians?

As someone who voted for Trump, and will have to do so again because all the Democrats are even worse, it made me sick in my stomach to watch Trump surrender wimpily to the bully and Hitler wanna be Erdogan.  Trump, channeling his best Neville Chamberlain.

But this is of a piece with regards to Trump’s Middle East policies.  While he has been correct on most of his foreign policy and domestic issues, he has shown nothing but abject blindness when it comes to Turkey.

First, he asked Erdogan to move into northern Syria so that he (Trump) could withdraw American forces.  This gave Erdogan the green light to exterminate Kurds, Christians, and Yazidis who stood in his way as he added Syrian territory to his imaginary Ottoman empire.

Then Trump looked the other way as Turkey begins drilling for oil and gas in Cypriot waters, and even sends warships into the same waters.  This was followed by the U.S. ambassador to Greece dropping hints that the U.S. will favor a solution (to the Aegean Sea issues) that will give Turkey the right to drill in Cypriot (and by extension, Greek) waters–while Erdogan issues threats about taking what ever Greek territories he wants.

And, now he gets F-35s?  This would be like Great Britain selling Hitler spitfire aircraft on the eve of WWII.

Everyone who has read this news summary up to this point, as well as the previous reports on this site about Turkey’s behavior, Turkey’s support for ISIS, Turkeys’ behavior in Syria, Iraq, Greek and Cypriot waters and airspace, and in Libya, and other places, should be horrified by Trump’s continual bowing and scraping to this fascist, racist, terror state.

Washington likely believes that by coddling this eschatological, terrorist state and looking the other way when they annex other countries’ territories, and exterminate minorities they don’t like  . . . that they will willingly come back into the NATO fold at some point and behave themselves.  Sadly, the reality is the exact opposite.  Every act of aggression Turkey gets away with, every act of genocide that it gets away with, only encourages it to be even more aggressive, more supporting of terrorist groups like ISIS, and more genocidal against non-Muslims, non-observant Muslims, and other minorities it doesn’t like for racial reasons.

I don’t expect Trump to be an expert on the Middle East, Turkish history, and master all of the other issues that a president must handle, but most Americans do expect their presidents to surround themselves with people who are experts in these fields.  I fear that Trump has been getting very bad advice on Turkey, and I would look to the NSC, and possibly the head honchos at the CIA, as the primary sources of this bad advice.

This is just one more reason why America is in bad need of a comprehensive intelligence reform.

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