MESOPOTAMIA NEWS INTEL: BY MEIR AMIT INTELLIGENCE & TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER – ISIS’s media response to the imminent defeat in the village of Al-Baghouz

    
Right: A photo from the video of ISIS’s “pocket” in Al-Baghouz Fawqani (Shabakat Shumukh, March 11, 2019). Left: The title of the video: “The significance of the steadfastness in Al-Baghouz” (Shabakat Shumukh, March 1, 2019)

• Several ISIS operatives appeared in the video conveying two main messages addressed to their operatives and supporters. Following are the two main messages:
  • The loss in Al-Baghouz is a loss in the battle, but not in the entire campaign. One of the operatives who appear in the video says that the first Muslims in the beginning of Islam lost the battles, but eventually Islam succeeded in establishing itself. The operative concludes his statement by saying, “War is fickle, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, but the campaign is not over yet.” Another operative notes that when enemies attack the Muslim believers, the only way [possible] is either victory or martyr’s death.
  • ISIS’s operatives in Al-Baghouz are fighting to implement sharia (Islamic law), therefore they will be privileged to enter Paradise, which is the “ultimate eternal victory.” An ISIS operative who appears in the video says, “… if we are killed [for our religion], it means that eventually we won.” On the other hand, the punishment of the infidels will be eternal Hell. The only ruler in the world who acts in accordance with Allah’s laws is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and the only place where sharia is implemented is in the Islamic State’s control area.