The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group is attempting to recruit Syrian rebels from the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, having published a new video calling on members of the group to defect to ISIS and assuring them that nothing bad will happen to them if they do.
The video presents the story of Abu Khatab al-Dir’awi from the southern Syrian city of Daraa, who moved with his family to Jordan because of the civil war, and later returned to Daraa and joined the Free Syrian Army.
He was sent for training with American instructors at a training camp in Turkey and was set to join combat missions against ISIS, but refused, defected to Islamic State territory and joined ISIS as a fighter.
The recruitment video may be indicative of ISIS’s shortage of manpower and its attempt to recruit new activists while promising to refrain from acts of revenge against them for previously being members of rival organizations.
The story of Abu Khatab al-Dir’awi also illustrates the difficulties encountered by the Americans in their attempt to establish a moderate opposition in Syria that could effectively fight ISIS.
Leave a Reply