Posted on 07/11/2014 12:21:37 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is running a brilliantly effective social media campaign. With the group rebranded as the Islamic State (IS), its grisly messaging gets attention and discourages resistance to its military operations, both where it is fighting and among countries that might be inclined to intervene against it. After it took Mosul, IS streamed video of its men executing dozens of captured Iraqi soldiers -- which very likely helped encourage the choice of Iraqi security forces to quietly desert their posts. IS live-tweeted its military advance through Iraq, showcasing the bravery of its fighters and what little resistance Iraqi security forces offered. It threatened decapitations in London's Trafalgar Square. And as the United States was busy playing its World Cup round-of-sixteen game, IS tweeted a picture of a decapitated head with the caption that it was the Islamic State's ball.
The Islamic State is not making the same mistake that its al Qaeda predecessor did: choosing the "far enemy" instead of the "near enemy" of Middle Eastern governments. The radical Islamists now rampaging through Iraq are fighting on both fronts, taunting us for our indecision and unwillingness to fight them while gaining ground where conditions favor them in Syria and Iraq. They surely overestimate their strength should we choose to engage the battle, but their shrewd use of modern communications is helping prevent that from happening. The Islamist radical group's ability to craft sensational messages that support the objectives of its military campaign is superb: The Islamists' barbarity discourages enemies from being willing to fight them and reinforces the hesitance of Western publics to get involved in another Middle Eastern war. Sun Tzu would give them a standing ovation....
(Excerpt) Read more at foreignpolicy.com ...
Because it is not lying like Washington- everything is easier when you believe what you are saying!
That is exactly what I thought.
“That is exactly what I thought.”
Nice to know there is another genius on this forum :)
Cheers
Mel
They’re so successful because they do NOT BELIEVE IN FREE SPEECH ... you see. When you don’t believe in free speech and you kill everyone who disagrees with you ... that tends to generate a “universal message” which carries a lot of impact, doncha know ... :-) ...
On the other hand, when you support free speech and have about a HUNDRED DIFFERENT OPINIONS on what your people should do, that LOSES ALL IMPACT and seems totally confused and contradictory.
Is it any wonder that they have a lot of impact?!
They can’t tweet if they get hit by a JDAM.
#BOOM
“Washington” is good at social media when it’s used for campaigning. They simply have no motivation to engage in this situation.
ISIS makes no bones about who they are and their goals. The Obama administration is always deceitful and does their dirty work behind the backs of people.
I’m guessing there’s a whole spectrum of reasons and most of the commenters on this thread will get at least some aspect of it right. (This is why team (not committee) problem solutions can be so effective.)
Another aspect is that the Jihad is focused on one thing, winning. Washington, especially liberals, don’t see anything worth fighting for, let alone winning. If they won they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves. And, for a liberal to win literally requires all the opposition to drop dead.
I’m certain there are a few dedicated bureaucrats who are fighting on our behalf but their arms are essentially tied behind their backs. To “win” (as far as that’s possible when the potential Jihadists number in the hundreds of millions) would require dedicated, competent management. A symptom of when that has arrived will be when we start acknowledging that we’re at war and terror is terror and not workplace violence.
IS isn’t your Mother’s Terrorists—They are a new breed—more resolved, more savage, more committed. They are well funded and well organized—like a Mafia Family. We should not treat them like we have others. Don’t think they are some joke that a few drones can beat. There others just talked—these guys will act. Expect a dirty Bomb, Expect Poison Gas, Expect assassinations and kidnappings. They have promissed this. the good news is they will be busy fighting other Arabs for a while. BUT If Baghdad falls-—they will focus on US next.
Because while they are fanatics, they are literate and they understand history.
Cannot say the same for the crowd in DC.
Although a very serious situation, I do love sarcasm and giving The Duffel Blog their due was good to see...
The Duffel Blog satirized the Obama administration’s ineffectualness with an article highlighting “7 Hashtags The White House Used To Solve Major World Problems.” It concludes with a picture of Secretary of State John Kerry looking forlorn with the hashtag #BringBackOurForeignPolicy (which includes a funny, gratuitous slap at Foreign Policy’s paywall).
http://www.duffelblog.com/2014/05/white-house-hashtags/2/
Well for one thing they’re welcome on Facebook and Twitter. Nothing free about those two outlets, pick and choose.
Isis is apparently bombing brothels in Baghdad.
BBC News - Middle East - BBC.com
www.bbc.com/news/world/middle_east/
British Broadcasting Corporation
Gunmen kill 29 in Baghdad attack ... profile · Deadly suicide attack hits Baghdad · Gunmen kill 12 in Baghdad brothel
Baghdad Bomb Blitz Feared as Next Stage of ISIS Offensive
www.nbcnews.com/.../iraq.../baghdad-bomb-blitz-feared-
NBCNews.com
ISIS claims responsibility for Baghdad bombings updated 4 days ago. The Islamic State in Sex Valley: Tech’s booming prostitution trade
ISIS bombed in Iraq, but advances in Syria - CBS News
www.cbsnews.com/.../isis-bombed-in-iraq-but-advances-in-syrs
NewsNow: Iraq News | Breaking News & Search 24/7
www.newsnow.co.uk/h/World+News/Middle+East/Iraq
NewsNow
Dozens killed in Baghdad prostitution raid SBS 06:22. In the last ... 28 women, 2 young men killed by armed attack in eastern Baghdad Iraqi News 05:54
A few years ago Zero could have pulled it off. Now no one buys his line of lies, not even the most cranial-rectal-inverted straight-ticket Demwit voter.
Thanks 2ndDivisionVet.
Ultimately though, the story is agitprop, just like this one:
ISIS destroys shrines and mosques, may be targeting Mecca
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3178209/posts
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