Militant Islamist fighters parade on military vehicles along the streets of northern Raqqa province June 30, 2014. (Reuters)
ISIS Has 100,000 Fighters, Growing Fast - Iraqi Govt Adviser -- RT
The number of Islamic State recruits is much higher than that estimated by foreign observers – around 100,000, says one of Iraq’s foremost security experts with unique access to intelligence. The terrorists are swallowing up other insurgent groups.
Foreign estimates put the figure between 20,000 and 50,000.
“[The] Islamic State didn’t come from nowhere,” according to Hisham al-Hashimi, who advises Iraq’s intelligence services and analyzes raw information gathered on the ground. He has studied the group’s progression for years.
The organization “is an extension of groups that existed before – historically and ideologically,” al-Hashimi told Mashable.
Read more ....
Update: Islamic State Expands: Up to 100,000 People Have Joined, Experts Say -- Mashable
My Comment: I do not know if the 100,000 number is accurate .... but I do know that it is an organization made up of tens of thousands of fighters .... and probably a few million supporters. As to the quality of the fighters .... it is disturbing to read reports that many are ex-military and/or men who know what war fighting is all about. So in summary .... tens of thousands of experienced fighters, armed to the teeth with a war chest that would equal the defense budget of a small country .... coupled with a determination to win at all costs and driven by an ideology that makes it easier for them to commit sacrifices that no one else would .... we are definitely facing a foe that is dangerous in every-way.
1 comment:
But what they don't have is air power... ISIS will be quickly incinerated by western air power :)
Post a Comment