ISIS 'seizes Iraq's largest oil refinery' and kidnaps 100 ...
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ISIS 'seizes Iraq's largest oil refinery' and kidnaps 100 foreigners but country's PM insists 'we have ...ISIS 'seizes Iraq's largest oil refinery' and kidnaps 100 foreigners but country's PM insists 'we have regained the initiative and are striking back'
- Nouri al-Maliki's comments came as ISIS 'seized control of 75% of Iraq's largest oil refinery'
- But Iraqi government denied plant had been taken, saying 50 to 60 militants had been killed in fierce fighting
- Iraqi troops say they have repelled an attack by ISIS on the country's largest oil refinery, killing 40 militants
- Car bomb blast kills 12 and injures 30 in Baghdad as Islamist fanatics plan wave of terror attacks on the capital
- Pentagon says Iraqi troops are now 'stiffening their resistance' around Baghdad with the help of Shi'ite volunteers
- Gulf security expert believes ISIS have 'no real aspiration' to take the capital but will instead aim to 'cause havoc'
- Dr David Roberts said: 'They are crazy in one sense, but have thus far been making intelligent strategic decisions'
- Obama not expected to approve imminent air strikes, partly because there are few clear targets to curb offensive
- ISIS militants are offering a rough travel guide for would-be jihadists in an attempt to recruit young Britons to Iraq
- Thousands of volunteers in neighboring Iran have signed up to defend Shi'ite shrines under threat from ISIS
- David Cameron says Britain must take a long-term approach to intervening in the Iraq crisis
- Afghan president Hamid Karzai dismisses the idea of an Iraq-style al-Qaeda comeback in Afghanistan
Nouri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite who has been in office since 2006, said in a televised address that the loss last week of a large swathe of territory has helped Iraq restore its national unity.
'We were able to contain the strike and arrest deterioration... we have now started our counter-offensive, regaining the initiative and striking back,' he said.
But his upbeat assessment came as reports suggested ISIS militants had captured three-quarters of Iraq's largest oil terminal in Baiji after a day of heavy fighting at gates defended by elite troops.
Insurgents are also thought to have kidnapped at least 100 foreign workers across the country during their week-long offensive. There have been no reports so far to suggest that British nationals are among them.
Iraqi men brandish their weapons as they show
their willingness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against
Jihadist militants who have taken over several northern Iraqi cities
A pro-militant social media account put out this
picture of smoke rising after an attack by Al Qaida-inspired militants
on the countryís largest oil refinery in Beiji, some 155 miles north of
the capital, Baghdad
Iraqi Shi'ite women hold their weapons to show
their willingness to join Iraqi security forces in the fight against
jihadist militants who have taken over several Iraqi cities
An official speaking from inside the refinery, north of Baghdad, said: 'The militants have managed to break in to the refinery. 'Now they are in control of the production units, administration building and four watch towers. This is 75 per cent of the refinery.'
However, the government denied the site had fallen.
Counter-terrorism spokesman, Sabah Nouri, insisted forces were still in control and had killed 50 to 60 fighters and burned six or seven insurgent vehicles after being attacked from three directions.
Clashes erupted at around 4am (1am GMT) at the refinery in Salaheddin province and some tanks containing refined products caught fire.
The attack follows last week's capture by militants of wide swathes of territory in northern Iraq and comes as the spectre of the sectarian warfare that nearly tore the country apart in 2006 and 2007 now haunting those trying to decide how to respond.
An employee of the state-owned North Oil Company said there had been casualties among security force personnel and that staff had fled.
Armed and ready: Iraqi special forces secure a
district in Baghdad as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki claimed the
government had 'regained the initiative' against ISIS
'Striking back': More than two million Iraqis
have volunteered to fight against militants from the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIS)
BRITAIN MUST TAKE 'LONG TERM' APPROACH TO IRAQ
Britain
must take a hard-headed and long-term approach to intervening in the
Iraq crisis or the problems there will 'hit us at home', David Cameron
has said.
The
Prime Minister stressed that the 'hard attack of direct intervention'
is not the only answer to the onslaught from Isis insurgents.
Mr Cameron also said it was 'vital' that the large-scale recruitment to the Iraqi forces fighting Isis continues.
During
Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Cameron said: 'I think it would be a
mistake to believe that the only answer to these problems is the hard
attack of direct intervention - we know that that can create problems of
itself.
'But
I'd also disagree with those people who think this is nothing to do
with us and if they want to have some sort of extreme Islamist regime in
the middle of Iraq that won't affect us - it will.'The Baiji refinery accounts for a little more than a quarter of the country's entire refining capacity - all of which goes toward domestic consumption for things like gasoline, cooking oil and fuel for power stations.
Any lengthy outage at Baiji risks long lines at the gas pump and electricity shortages, adding to the chaos already facing Iraq.
Al-Maliki's upbeat assessment came as news broke of government forces regaining parts of a strategic city near the Syrian border that was captured Monday by fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
Meanwhile, the Indian government said 40 Indian construction workers have been kidnapped near Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, which ISIS and allied Sunni fighters captured last week.
Roughly 10,000 Indian citizens work and live in Iraq, with only about 100 in violent, insecure areas like Mosul, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said its diplomats were investigating a Turkish media report that militants abducted 60 foreign construction workers, including some 15 Turks, near the northern Iraqi oil city of Kirkuk.
Ready for the fight: Iraqi Shi'ite volunteers
who have joined forces with Iraqi troops against ISIS hold weapons and
chant slogans in Karbala city
Flashpoint: A plume of smoke rises from what is
said to be Baiji oil refinery in northern Iraq, where ISIS have
reportedly seized control of three-quarters of the plant
Resistance: Shi'ite tribal fighters raise
their weapons and chant slogans against ISIS in Baghdad's Sadr City
after authorities urged Iraqis to help counter the insurgency
Frontline
fighters: Thousands of Shi'ites from across southern Iraq have
reportedly answered a call to arms as Al Qaeda-inspired militants bore
down on the capital
GOOGLE REMOVES ISIS APP FROM PLAY STORE
Google has removed an app from Islamist militant group Isis, which was available to download from the Google Play store.
The Islamist militants launched the app in April to try to enhance their profile on social media.
The ISIS app was known as 'the Dawn of Glad Tidings'. Credit: Google Play
Thousands of people had downloaded the 'Dawn of Glad Tidings' app, which promised users 'news from Iraq, Syria and the Islamic world'.
A Google spokesman said: 'We remove any applications that breach our community guidelines.'
The Islamist militants launched the app in April to try to enhance their profile on social media.
The ISIS app was known as 'the Dawn of Glad Tidings'. Credit: Google Play
Thousands of people had downloaded the 'Dawn of Glad Tidings' app, which promised users 'news from Iraq, Syria and the Islamic world'.
A Google spokesman said: 'We remove any applications that breach our community guidelines.'
Overnight, a car bomb in Baghdad's Shi'ite Sadr City district killed 12 people and wounded 30 in a crowded outdoor market, police and hospital officials said.
No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the blast, but attacks targeting Shi'ite districts are routinely the work of Sunni militants, who in the last week have captured vast swathes of the country and are pressing towards the capital.
The bombing came as an expert warned the insurgency by ISIS is likely to morph from its current lightning offensive to guerrilla-style warfare as the militants encounter tougher resistance around Baghdad.
Dr David Roberts, a lecturer in international relations and security in the Gulf region at King's College University based in Qatar, believes ISIS have 'no real aspiration' to take Baghdad, but would instead aim to 'cause havoc and increase divides'.
Mobilising troops: Shi'ite volunteers who have
joined the Iraqi army to fight against Sunni militants gather with their
weapons in Baghdad
Committed: Iraqi men loyal to Shi'ite cleric
Muqtada al-Sadr listen to their superiors as they prepare to join Iraqi
security forces in the fight against ISIS
Lightning offensive: The swift advance by ISIS
has sparked international alarm, with the UN's envoy to Baghdad warning
that Iraq's territorial integrity was at stake
OUTGOING AFGHAN PRESIDENT SAYS THERE WILL BE NO AL QAEDA RESURGENCE IN HIS COUNTRY
Hamid
Karzai says Al Qaeda groups could not make a comeback in Afghanistan,
dismissing the possibility of an Iraq-style terrorist resurgence.
In an interview with the BBC the Afghan president, who is due to step down in the coming weeks, denied the same thing could happen in his country.
'Never, not at all,' he said, adding that al-Qaeda no longer had a presence in Afghanistan.
In an interview with the BBC the Afghan president, who is due to step down in the coming weeks, denied the same thing could happen in his country.
'Never, not at all,' he said, adding that al-Qaeda no longer had a presence in Afghanistan.
'Committing forces to take Baghdad, which is what you'd need to do to take it, is not a good use of their resources.'
His comments came as it emerged ISIS militants are offering a rough travel guide for would-be jihadists in an attempt to recruit young Britons to Iraq and Syria.
Extremists from Britain who have already arrived in the Middle East are now using social media to encourage others back home to follow suit.
They advise people to travel light and bring a smart phone for internet access, but to leave religious books at home to avoid suspicion at the airport.
Engaging the enemy: Kurdish soldiers aim their
weapons towards positions held by fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq
and the Levant near Jalula, Iraq
Terror blast: Iraqis inspect the site of a car
bomb explosion in the Shi'ite Sadr City district of Baghdad which killed
at least 12 people and wounded dozens more
Carnage: A boy inspects the site of the car bomb
which came amid a week-long militant offensive in which rebels have
seized vast swathes of territory in northern Iraq
Destruction: No-one has yet claimed
responsibility for the blast, but attacks targeting Shi'ite districts
are routinely the work of Sunni militants
Fear: Iraqi women walk past the site of the bomb
blast. A security expert believes ISIS have 'no real aspiration' to
take Baghdad, but would instead aim to 'cause havoc'
However, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said Iraqi troops, with help from Shi'ite volunteers, were 'stiffening their resistance' around Baghdad.
'It certainly appears as if they have the will to defend the capital,' he said.
U.S. officials said Barack Obama is not expected to approve imminent air strikes in Iraq, partly because there are few clear targets that could blunt the fast-moving uprising.
Meanwhile, ISIS targeted Iraq's largest oil refinery with mortar shells today, threatening a facility key to the country's domestic supplies as part of their ongoing offensive north of the capital, a top security official said.
Grief: Iraqi men mourn over the coffin of an
Iraqi soldier who was killed in the clashes with militants in northern
Iraq, during the funeral procession in Najaf
War dead: The coffins of Iraqi soldiers who were
killed in the clashes with militants in northern Iraq are carried
during the funeral procession in Najaf
Heartache: Iraqis grieve over the coffin of a soldier who was killed in clashes with ISIS militants in northern Iraq
Danger zones: Syria has replaced Afghanistan as
the least peaceful country in the world, according to the Institute for
Economics and Peace
NO CLEAR TARGETS YET FOR AIR STRIKES, SAYS OBAMA
Iraq has asked the United States to launch air strikes on ISIS insurgents, it emerged today.
'We have a request from the Iraqi government for air power,' top US military commander General Martin Dempsey said. He told a Senate panel that it was in America's 'national interest to counter [ISIS] wherever we find them'.
However, Barack Obama is not expected to approve imminent air strikes in Iraq, partly because there are few clear targets that could blunt the fast-moving uprising, US officials have said.
They said President Obama had made no final decisions and did not rule out the possibility that air strikes could ultimately be used.
But the officials said the strikes were not the immediate focus of the administration's continuing discussions about how to respond to the crumbling security situation in Iraq.
Beyond air strikes, the US has also been considering the possibility of sending a small contingent of special operations forces to Iraq to help train the country's security forces.
Officials have also been looking at ways to boost the intelligence available to Iraqi forces.
'We have a request from the Iraqi government for air power,' top US military commander General Martin Dempsey said. He told a Senate panel that it was in America's 'national interest to counter [ISIS] wherever we find them'.
However, Barack Obama is not expected to approve imminent air strikes in Iraq, partly because there are few clear targets that could blunt the fast-moving uprising, US officials have said.
They said President Obama had made no final decisions and did not rule out the possibility that air strikes could ultimately be used.
But the officials said the strikes were not the immediate focus of the administration's continuing discussions about how to respond to the crumbling security situation in Iraq.
Beyond air strikes, the US has also been considering the possibility of sending a small contingent of special operations forces to Iraq to help train the country's security forces.
Officials have also been looking at ways to boost the intelligence available to Iraqi forces.
The agency based its report on an unnamed worker who was reportedly freed by the militants.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry could not immediately confirm the report but said its embassy was investigating.
Farther north in the city of Tal Afar near the Syrian border, chief military spokesman Lt General Qassim al-Moussawi said government forces backed by allied tribesmen drove out Islamic State fighters from parts of the city they captured Monday.
The capture of the city appeared to be a move to strengthen the Islamic State's plan to carve out an 'Islamic emirate' that covers territory on both sides of the territory.
There was no way to independently confirm al-Moussawi's claim, but state television aired footage late yesterday of army troops and armed volunteers disembarking from a transport C-130 aircraft at an airstrip near Ta Afar.
The Sunni militants of the Islamic State have vowed to march to Baghdad and the Shi'ite holy cities of Karbala and Najaf in the worst threat to Iraq's stability since U.S. troops left.
The three cities are home to some of the most revered Shi'ite shrines.
The Islamic State also has tried to capture Samarra north of Baghdad, home to another major Shiite shrine.
Iran, a neighboring Shi'ite powerhouse, already has seen thousands volunteer to defend the shrines.
Jubilant: This image from video posted on
YouTube apparently shows ISIS militants parading in Baiji, where Iraq's
main oil refinery has shut down after being attacked
Militants reportedly patrolling through Baiji,
where the state-owned North Oil Company said ISIS attacked parts of the
refinery complex, leading to heavy clashes
Strategic target: A general view of Baiji oil
refinery north of Baghdad, which has been attacked by ISIS militants as
they pressed towards the capital
IRAQ ACCUSES SAUDI OF PROMOTING GENOCIDE
Baghdad
has accused Saudi Arabia of supporting 'genocide' in Iraq through its
'financial and moral' backing of Sunni militants who have seized swathes
of territory across the country.
A statement issued by the Iraqi government said of Riyadh: 'We hold them responsible for supporting these groups financially and morally and for the outcome of that - which includes crimes that may qualify as genocide: the spilling of Iraqi blood, the destruction of Iraqi state institutions and historic and religious sites.'
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has blamed Saudi Arabia for supporting militants in the past, but the severe language was unprecedented.
Saudi Arabia, the main Sunni power in the Gulf, funds Sunni militants in Syria but denies it is behind ISIS.
A statement issued by the Iraqi government said of Riyadh: 'We hold them responsible for supporting these groups financially and morally and for the outcome of that - which includes crimes that may qualify as genocide: the spilling of Iraqi blood, the destruction of Iraqi state institutions and historic and religious sites.'
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has blamed Saudi Arabia for supporting militants in the past, but the severe language was unprecedented.
Saudi Arabia, the main Sunni power in the Gulf, funds Sunni militants in Syria but denies it is behind ISIS.
'We declare to all superpowers, their mercenaries, murderers and terrorists that the great Iranian nation will not miss any effort in protecting these sacred sites,' Rouhani said.
More than a week after insurgents launched their lightning assault, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has dismissed several senior officers, including the commander for the northern province of Nineveh, the first to fall.
Maliki also ordered that one of them face court-martial for desertion.
The dismissals came after soldiers and police fled en masse as insurgents swept into Nineveh's capital Mosul, a city of two million, abandoning their vehicles and uniforms.
The swift advance of the militants has sparked international alarm, with UN envoy to Baghdad Nickolay Mladenov warning that Iraq's territorial integrity was at stake.
'Right now, it's life-threatening for Iraq but it poses a serious danger to the region,' Mladenov told AFP.
'Iraq faces the biggest threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity' in years, he added.
The violence has stoked regional tensions, with Iraq accusing neighbouring Saudi Arabia Tuesday of 'siding with terrorism' and of being responsible for financing the militants.
President Obama had made no final decisions on a course of action and did not rule out the possibility that air strikes could ultimately be used, particularly if a strong target became available, U.S. officials have said.
But the officials said the strikes were not the immediate focus of the administration's continuing discussions about how to respond to the crumbling security situation in Iraq.
Mr Obama is due to brief congressional leaders on the matter at the White House today.
Beyond air strikes, the U.S. has also been considering the possibility of sending a small contingent of special operations forces to Iraq to help train the country's security forces.
15,000 FIGHTERS, 1,000 ASSASSINATIONS AND 4,000 IEDS: ISIS PUBLISHES 'ANNUAL REPORT' OF ITS REIGN OF TERROR
The
Islamist militant group ISIS publishes annual reports detailing its
reign of terror across the Middle East, it has been revealed.
In 2013 alone, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, says it has carried out nearly 10,000 operations in Iraq, 1,000 assassinations, planted 4,000 improvised explosion devices and freed hundreds of radical prisoners.
Isis also claims to have turned hundreds of 'apostates' and says it now has at least 15,000 fighters in its ranks.
Details of the report emerged as new information about the way ISIS is funded and attracts recruits came to light, with reports suggesting widespread support in South East Asia, particularly Indonesia - the country with the world’s biggest Muslim population.
The reports for 2012 and 2013 have been analysed by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.
It is believed ISIS compiled the reports to attract potential donors and to paint a picture of a well-organised military group with a clear political strategy.
Nigel Inkster, former assistant chief of UK intelligence service MI6, told the Financial Times: 'They produce [the reports] almost like a company, with details of martyrdom operations and targets. You have a clear overlay of structure, planning and strategy to the organisation.'
The documents also clearly mark out that the group's long-term intention is to control the Sunni-populated areas of Iraq.
Financially, it is believed the group had already been extorting taxes from businesses in Mosul before the Isis takeover and netting about £8million.
Out of the 15,000 fighters Isis has at its disposal, 12,000 of them are believed to be from outside Iraq and Syria - the majority of these from neighbouring Middle Eastern countries.
However, an estimated 2,000 are believed to have arrived from European countries, including Britain, with a growing number of arrivals from countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
It is from this South East Asia connection that Isis now attracts much of its funding, according to a report in Time.
The claim is that, as jihadist movements in Malaysia and Indonesia weaken thanks to arrests of high-profile Islamists in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, extremists in South East Asia are now looking towards the conflicts in Iraq and Syria as an outlet for their anger and finances.
In 2013 alone, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIS, says it has carried out nearly 10,000 operations in Iraq, 1,000 assassinations, planted 4,000 improvised explosion devices and freed hundreds of radical prisoners.
Isis also claims to have turned hundreds of 'apostates' and says it now has at least 15,000 fighters in its ranks.
Details of the report emerged as new information about the way ISIS is funded and attracts recruits came to light, with reports suggesting widespread support in South East Asia, particularly Indonesia - the country with the world’s biggest Muslim population.
Details: The Isis report uses graphics to detail
the group's reign of terror in the Middle East. This chart shows the
number of explosives detonated in 2012 and 2013
The reports for 2012 and 2013 have been analysed by the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War.
It is believed ISIS compiled the reports to attract potential donors and to paint a picture of a well-organised military group with a clear political strategy.
Nigel Inkster, former assistant chief of UK intelligence service MI6, told the Financial Times: 'They produce [the reports] almost like a company, with details of martyrdom operations and targets. You have a clear overlay of structure, planning and strategy to the organisation.'
The documents also clearly mark out that the group's long-term intention is to control the Sunni-populated areas of Iraq.
Numbers: Another set of graphics in the report shows the weaponry ISIS now has in its possession
Financially, it is believed the group had already been extorting taxes from businesses in Mosul before the Isis takeover and netting about £8million.
Out of the 15,000 fighters Isis has at its disposal, 12,000 of them are believed to be from outside Iraq and Syria - the majority of these from neighbouring Middle Eastern countries.
However, an estimated 2,000 are believed to have arrived from European countries, including Britain, with a growing number of arrivals from countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia.
It is from this South East Asia connection that Isis now attracts much of its funding, according to a report in Time.
The claim is that, as jihadist movements in Malaysia and Indonesia weaken thanks to arrests of high-profile Islamists in the wake of the 2002 Bali bombings, extremists in South East Asia are now looking towards the conflicts in Iraq and Syria as an outlet for their anger and finances.
This image, posted on Twitter by a jihadist
group, is a guide to avoiding drone strikes. Drones have been used by
the U.S. against militants in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, but have
been criticised by human rights groups for their heavy civilian toll
Officials have also been looking at ways to boost the intelligence available to Iraqi forces.
More broadly, the Obama administration is also pressing for Maliki to take steps to make his Shi'ite-dominated government more inclusive.
Mr Obama said last week that any short-term U.S. military actions in Iraq would not be successful unless they were accompanied by political changes by the government in Baghdad.
Despite those calls, there were ominous signs of open warfare between Shi'ites and Sunnis, the two main Muslim sects.
As well as the car bomb in Baghdad, nearly four dozen Sunni detainees were gunned down at a jail north of Baghdad.
During the United States' eight-year presence in Iraq, American forces acted as a buffer between the two Islamic sects, albeit with limited success.
U.S. forces fully withdrew at the end of 2011 when Washington and Baghdad could not reach an agreement to extend the American military presence there.
But the Obama administration has been forced to rethink its relationship with Iraq after the Al Qaeda-inspired group quickly took control of key Iraqi cities last week.
Mr Obama has already notified the U.S. Congress that he is sending nearly 300 troops in and around Iraq to secure the US embassy in Baghdad and other American assets.
CAN ISIS REALLY TAKE BAGHDAD? WHAT'S THEIR END GAME? A MIDDLE EAST EXPERT ASSESSES THEIR OPTIONS
Expert view: Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security analyst at King's College London in Qatar
Here, Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security analyst at King's College London in Qatar, gives MailOnline his verdict on ISIS's chances of toppling Baghdad and whether they can achieve their ultimate goal of establishing an Islamic state.
Will ISIS try to take Baghdad?
It is clear that ISIS is moving towards Baghdad so it seems they are trying to take Baghdad.
It would be unrealistic to seize Baghdad considering the concentration of Iraqi military, private armed contractors, Shi’a militias and armed neighborhood watches there.
Also, I think that the U.S. will draw a red line when it comes to Baghdad.
It depends how far ISIS is willing to go into Baghdad before they realise that it might not be worth the costs. One needs to consider as well that ISIS as a jihadist organisation also tries to spread fear and terror.
So what's the alternative?
For them, it might be sufficient to demonstrate to the population of the city that they are not safe as long as they support Maliki (the Iraqi Prime Minister).
They can do that by drawing Iraqi security forces into fierce urban combats or by using their terrorist wing to plant bombs. These tactics, however, will not bring about control of the city.
They might enter the city and bring about a stalemate, but it seems unlikely at this moment to expect Baghdad to fall.
So what happens then?
In order to achieve their strategic objective of creating an actual caliphate (Islamic state), they do not need Baghdad.
It would be more sensible at this point to consolidate power and control over these areas under its responsibility.
What is a caliphate?
The idea of caliphate in their minds is quite a vague concept. All jihadi as well as many moderate Islamist organisations ultimately seek to establish a caliphate.
ISIS is the one organisation that has come the closest of actually controlling territory.
For Al Qaeda, the concept of the caliphate is a more utopian concept. This is where ISIS breaks with Al Qaeda and its own past.
They have proclaimed Al Baghdadi as the Emir of their caliphate, which now comprises large areas stretching from northern Syria to Iraq.
How will they go about establishing one?
ISIS is mostly regarded as a foreign entity as most of its fighters are not from the Levant. Most of ISIS in Iraq are not from Iraq and most of ISIS in Syria are not from Syria.
So they need to recruit mujahedeen from abroad in order to not just keep on fighting but also hold the territory and establish a governance structure.
So far, they have taken only basic public services such as collecting garbage, collecting taxes (zakat), enforcing Sharia law, replacing Imams in bigger cities with their own Imams etc.
But for the most part administering is done through coercion.
Law and order is enforced by deterrence. They have public show trials where defendants get publicly lashed or executed.
With limited forces available to administer the country, the local population could probably cause major problems if they rose up against ISIS.
ISIS control is very fragile as people only co-operate due to fear not because they want to. Just because they have seized territory from official statutory power, it does not make them a statutory power.
But they are learning and if there are able over the coming months and years to consolidate their power, they might be able to erect a quasi-regime loosely keeping all those territories together
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