Inside ISIS: Interrogation trove shows terror group's leader was a snitch

[Valin]

Just The News

ISIS overall leader al-Mawla "was a songbird of unique talent and ability," wrote West Point professor Daniel Milton in an essay.

Susan Katz Keating

April 9, 2021

A newly released trove of U.S. military interrogation documents depict both betrayal and banality within the upper echelons of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, known as ISIS. The documents are a portion of the 2008 interrogation records for Amir Muhammad Sa'id Abdal-Rahman al-Mawla, who currently leads the jihadist organization. 

Although the Department of Defense last fall released a few documents from the interrogations, the newly released 53 reports reveal a deeper view of "prison canary" al-Mawla and of ISIS itself. 

Al-Mawla was captured by U.S. forces in January 2008 in Iraq, according to the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point, which on Tuesday released the documents. Although al-Mawla at first denied being involved with ISIS, he quickly revealed detailed information to his interrogators about the extremist group. The trove contains reports on interrogation sessions spanning seven months.

Significant portions of some of the documents remain redacted other than to identify the man who is being interrogated, or to reveal brief observations — but even those say much. 

(Snip)

____________________________________________________________

Dig In