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Islamic State Insurgent Tactics: Translation and Analysis (IV)

May 19, 2019 at 2:28 pm

For prior parts in this series, see:

Part I
Part II
Part III

This final article in the Islamic State's al-Naba' newsletter series on the insurgent tactic of temporarily taking control of areas deals with the issue of withdrawal. The article notes that circumstances can vary and unexpected obstacles may arise for a withdrawal plan during an expedition. However, some general guidelines are given.

- The organization of withdrawal may vary. For example, it could be that the groups that assault first should be the first to withdraw, or the groups that launch the deepest incursion into an area should be the first to withdraw.

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Islamic State Insurgent Tactics: Translation and Analysis (III)

May 19, 2019 at 10:50 am

For prior parts in this series, see:

Part I
Part II

This article in the al-Naba' newsletter on the Islamic State insurgent tactics of temporarily taking control of areas discusses the issue of implementation of the method. The article emphasizes that there is no single masterplan for such expeditions as circumstances vary according to place. However, the article offers general guidelines to the mujahideen on their conduct of these operations:

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The Operations in Northwest Syria: Interview

May 18, 2019

The northwest of Syria has recently seen military operations by the Syrian government with support from Russia. During those operations, Syrian government forces recaptured a number of localities in north Hama countryside from the rebels (e.g. Qal'at al-Mudiq). As of the time of writing, a ceasefire has reportedly come into effect on the Hama and Idlib countryside fronts.

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Iraqis in Syria: Interview with Sayyid Firas al-Mahdawi

May 17, 2019 at 6:15 pm

That Iraqis were already living in Syria prior to the civil war is well-known. Less understood and appreciated is their role in the establishment and membership of formations that emerged as part of the idea of defending the Sayyida Zainab shrine in the Damascus area.

Recently I interviewed Sayyid Firas al-Mahdawi. Originally from Baghdad, he has been living in Syria since 2004 and is married to a Syrian woman. He is currently a member of Liwa al-Imam al-Hussein.

Below is the interview. Any parenthetical insertions in square brackets are my own.

Q: Were you with Liwa Abu al-Fadl al-Abbas in the beginning?

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Islamic State Insurgent Tactics: Translation and Analysis (II)

May 17, 2019 at 1:52 pm

In a previous post I provided a translation and analysis of the first article in a series in the Islamic State's al-Naba' newsletter that discusses the group's insurgent tactic of temporarily taking control of areas. That first article emphasized the point that the guerrilla forces of the Islamic State, in pursuing this tactic, would not seek to enter into a decisive confrontation with enemy forces. This second article in the series discusses in-depth the goals of these expeditions. In summary, the objectives can be as follows:

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