In May, al-Wafa' Media Foundation- part of the dissident trend that emerged within the Islamic State and morphed into opposition to the group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi- published the testimony of a former amni (member of the security apparatus). This former amni calls himself Abu Muslim al-Iraqi and worked at one point in the al-Ba'aj area of west Ninawa countryside (in Islamic State parlance, 'Wilayat al-Jazeera'). In his testimony, which I translated here, the former amni criticized various policies such as the inconsistency in implementing repentance in parts of Iraq, an incident of taking sabaya from Yezidis who converted to Islam and should have been afforded proper protection, and killing civilians as they tried to flee Mosul during the campaign of the Iraqi government to retake the city.
In July, the same media foundation published the second part of the former amni's testimony. This second part is much longer and focuses in particular on military matters since Abu Muslim was transferred to the Diwan al-Jund (Soldiers Department): that is, the Islamic State's military apparatus. Here, Abu Muslim criticizes a number of practices pertaining to management of the military and related matters.
. The Islamic State's media releases give misleading portrayals of operations, such as using clips of old footage to give the false impression of newly filmed battles. Abu Muslim focuses on a 2014 release called 'Steadfastness of the Lions' as a case study, as he claims that the release gave a false impression of steadfast resistance when in fact, for example, the Islamic State withdrew from areas without a fight. He also says that a group of members of 'Islamic police' were filmed to give the misleading impression that they were a contingent of fighters.
. Disregard for the lives and blood of Islamic State fighters. People lacking the right expertise were appointed as military amirs. Absence of proper planning in expeditions. Useless fortifications were built, such as the case of Sinjar where more than 2 billion Iraqi dinars were spent on fortification but the town fell quickly, as the north was fortified but the east and west of the town were left open. Stupid initiatives were undertaken without regard to keeping manpower alive, as on one occasion an order came to attack a village west of Sinjar. During the expedition, a suicide bomber's car was in the middle of one of the convoys for the attack. That car was bombed by the U.S.-led coalition's aircraft, destroying the entire convoy and killing some thirty people. Abu Muslim also cites the case of a village called Umm al-Dhayban, which the Islamic State lost in March 2016. A person without military competency was appointed to manage the battle, and the Islamic State needlessly lost up to 100 fighters. After losing the village, the commander of the Islamic State's Ibn Taymiyya Brigade ordered for repeated attempts to recover it, only for all the expeditions to fail.
. Ignorance of religious matters among Islamic State fighters, with students of the colleges for 'llm (Islamic knowledge) treated more as mere human resources to be called upon to fight when needed.
. An inability to accept sincere advice and criticism. You were expected to be yes-men for the amirs. Raising points of criticism could lead to accusations of causing demoralization and result in your being marginalized and transferred elsewhere, for example.
. Diverting salary payments for Islamic State members trapped inside Hajin in Deir az-Zor province to insurgent operatives in Iraq, as well as families of slain fighters and prisoners in Iraq.
. War spoils were not fairly distributed. For instance, many homes of Christians in the Ninawa plain were left locked up and spoils were never taken. The process of applying to receive your share of war spoils could be tedious if you did not have the right connections with Islamic State leadership. In the Sinjar area, distributions of spoils of clothes, furniture and vegetables to the populace were not allowed, meaning that these items went to waste. No concern was shown to distribute items to displaced people who fled from other Islamic State 'wilayas' (provinces) and came to Islamic State territory.
. Problems in distribution of real estate owned by the Islamic State. From the author's own experience, in the Ninawa wilaya the Islamic State only allowed for distribution of real estate to a person working inside the wilaya. So if someone was of the inhabitants of the wilaya but worked in a different one, that person would not be entitled to real estate distribution. Also, displaced persons coming from other 'wilayas' were not entitled to real estate distribution.
. Double standards and problems of favouritism. The amirs became a class above the ordinary soldiers, enjoying privileges in use of cars, obligations of manning the frontlines (ribat) and leave permits. A double standard was also applied to the Muslim populace about leaving Islamic State lands. While the amirs and leaders could secure safe exit for their families from places like Mosul, that was not permitted for the masses.
The testimony is useful in countering the idea that the Islamic State's military tactics were always brilliant or well thought out. We also get an impression of how the group's military forces were organized during the height of its power (the tamkin or 'enablement' stage in which the group conquered and administered large swathes of territory). For instance, from the testimony we get a structure of the organization's 'Ayn Jalut' military division, which I have put in a chart below. The division operated in 'Wilayat al-Jazeera' (a wilaya primarily including areas such as Tel Afar, al-Ba'aj and Sinjar in northwest Iraq under its jurisdiction). For reference, 'Ayn Jalut' refers to the battle in which the Mongols were defeated by the Mamluks.
We do not, however, know if the other three brigades in the Ayn Jalut division had the same number of battalions as the Ibn Taymiyya Brigade.
There are some other notable details and points that emerge from the testimony:
- Some names of otherwise obscure provincial and regional governors (walis), such as 'Abu Laith al-Hamdouni' (the first Islamic State governor of the Ninawa province after the conquest of Mosul in 2014 CE, killed in November 2014 CE) and 'Abu Talut' who succeeded him in that place and subsequently became wali of Wilayat Dijla. In this context, we also learn that the order to form the new provinces of Wilayat al-Jazeera and Wilayat Dijla came after the loss of the Rabi'a area etc. in December 2014 CE. Those two 'new wilayas' were announced publicly in February 2015 CE.
- The account supports the idea that Baghdadi was never present inside the Deir az-Zor locality of Hajin when it was besieged in 2018.
Interestingly, I note that the author cites a set of Islamic State documents from the Mosul area that I leaked in 2016 and published on the website Jihadology. The documents dealt with regulations during the Mosul operations and included a stipulation prohibiting the Muslim populace from leaving the borders of 'Wilayat Ninawa' for refuge: leaving was only allowed under limited circumstances like medical treatment.
Below is the second part of the former amni's testimony translated in full. Note that the accompanying notes in the text are the the author's own and not mine.
The Testimony of a Repenting Amni (II)
Printing and publication rights are available for every Muslim man and Muslim woman on condition of not infringing on the contents of the book through deletion or addition.
First printing
Dhu al-Q'ida 1440 AH/July 2019 CE
Mu'assasat al-Wafa' al-'Ilamiya
The Testimony of a Repenting Amni (II)
Written by Abu Muslim al-Iraqi (may God protect him and guide him)
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Introduction:
Praise be to God the Lord of the Worlds, and prayers and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and all his family and companions. I bear witness that there is no deity but God alone with no partner for Him, and Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.
As for what follows:
I was among those who transferred to the 'Diwan al-Jund', and specifically to the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade',[i] and I witnessed multiple matters in it, and calamities that have been concealed! And the truth is that I say: we deliberately concealed them from the Muslims in order to protect the rank and to keep away from stirring fitna, or so we deceived ourselves with our flimsy excuses. For I preferred silence in that time such that fitna spread and the rank was destroyed, because of oppression and ignoring it, while refraining from correcting its path and exposing those committing it.
And now I document these scandalous catastrophic truths that I will mention- if God wills- for God and then for history as I previously documented in my testimony[ii] an aspect of the castastrophes and disasters that happened under the supervision of the Diwan al-Amn al-Aam.
And I participated in some of them myself- may God forgive me and accept my repentance- and I only did that to reveal the wrongdoers and expose the innovative extremists, and in order to support the true manhaj of jihad, and to correct the path that became bent by virtue of Ibn Awad and his retinue and servants from the criminal extremists of obedience. The near and far will know by this testimony their lies that they falsely and slanderously attributed to the Prophetic Methodology in order to deceive the Ummah of Islam in its entirety. This is so, and God is the One whose help is to be sought alone.
Written by
Abu Muslim al-Iraqi
Sunday 25 Dhu al-Q'ida 1440 AH
Corresponding to 28 July 2019 CE.
Media Lying
The most important pillar Ibn Awad has relied on is the media mechanism through which they work on two important matters:
1. Improving the image of the 'Dawla', and portraying it as just and pious for those inside it generally and those outside it in particular, and thus they are able to draw in the monotheists thirsty for the law of God from the different regions outside the 'Dawla'.
2. Showing the claimed force and might of the 'Dawla'- before its enemies through media releases of slaughter and 'media' operations that are fake often, and that is in order to attract echoes and the megaphone, in order to deceive the Muslims living in the lands of the 'Dawla' and outside it that the 'Dawla' is invincible, and that everything is under control, so they should not worry!
And as they used to say in the Iraqi dialect: 'News is good.'[iii]
And it is a wretched method and exact deception, as the media guys would film the small battles that occur in every area and that are in different times according to the circumstances of every area and the battles that occur.
And they would refrain from publishing those visual recordings for a long time, so they remain in their archive to become subsequently new material when their materials decrease and their resources become scarce. And they have a means by which they circulate these archival materials, as has happened in the battles of 'Wilayat Dijla' and 'al-Anbar' and 'Kirkuk' and other places, for when the area is attacked and they disappear from it within striking distance, they bring together the visual recordings stored previously and organize them in a visual release for that area on the basis that they are events that occurred during the last battle in them, and that they were only filmed a day or two days ago, and thus they reassure and mislead the people that the area is still under their control, before they are shocked by news of the entry of the apostates into it and their withdrawal from it in the shade of obscure circumstances!
Thus Ibn Awad and his Hujjaj have been deceiving the Muslims!
Observations on the release 'Steadfastness of the Lions'[iv]
When there was withdrawal from west 'Ninawa' to an area of around 100 km squared in one day, beginning from the village of 'al-Mahmudiya'[v] to the town of 'Sinjar', the lying media of the 'Dawla' issued a release 'Steadfastness of the Lions' and they pumped into it a large quantity of drugs of lies and delusions, to prove what was divorced from the reality in the steadfastness of the 'Dawla' organization and its repelling of the attacks of the disbelievers of the 'Peshmerga' and 'PKK'.
And the one who does not know the region will indeed delight in the deception of the 'Dawla' through its releases laden with its prattling excuses in which it offers materials removed from the reality on the grounds that war is deception! And so as not to demoralize the mujahideen! But they pretend to forget what follows from this lying and deception in catastrophes and tribulations that are shocking.
The organization was silent about its scandalous withdrawal from those areas without a fight! Also they accused all who look into the reasons for the handing over of the areas and scandalous withdrawals of demoralizing and discouraging, so all who express surprise or condemnation must be- in their view- promoters of demoralization and discouragement and advocates of splitting the ranks!
Likewise the release touched on the ferocity of the battles in 'Sinjar'! Also they claimed that the 'Dawla' organization resisted the attack with determination and force, while the truth was the opposite of that in stages, as the apostates attacked the 'Rabi'a' area on Wednesday 7 Dhu al-Hijja 1435 AH (1 October 2014 CE).
And when they witnessed the surprising withdrawal of the 'Dawla'[vi] without a fight[vii] they continued advancing until they came established in 'Sinjar' so they stopped there as they faced an operation led by a martyrdom operative accompanied with brittle resistance led by the brother 'Abu Karam al-Hadidi,'[viii] may God accept him.
The apostates never imagined in their wildest dreams to reach 'Sinjar' with such ease from the outset, for this was the greatest of the reasons for their halt: that is, preserving the gains of the organization's withdrawal that allowed them to reach 'Sinjar' without notable losses. Also they did not retreat one inch. As for the deceptive media of the organization, it portrayed the halting of these disbelievers and their lack of advance as a great victory they boasted of for a long time.
Also the release touched on a number of scenes of battles in 'Sinjar', so I was surprised at the swindling and deception of the Muslims it contained! For in the release a martyrdom operative brother appeared and they mentioned that his name was 'Abu al-Mo'atasem al-Shami'[ix] and no one knows who he is and when and where he carried out the operation?!
Also 'Sinjar' is located in the south of 'Sinjar mountain' and the release showed the targeting of the Yezidi 'Sharf al-Din temple'[x] and it is the north of 'Sinjar mountain' so the operation is old and not in the town of 'Sinjar' at all. Also the release contained another scene of a rank of the brothers[xi] in which Sheikh 'Abu A'isha al-Badrani'[xii] spoke on the basis that they are of the fighters in the battle! And I know them personally: for they are a group of the 'Islamic police' in the 'al-Ba'aj area'[xiii] who were brought to the 'Sinjar' area and they were filmed on the basis that they are of those participating in repelling the claimed attack!
And in the release is another scene in which three prisoners[xiv] are slaughtered from those whom the deceptive media of the organization claimed to be of the 'Peshmerga' apostates and they are not of it. One of them- and he was in the middle of these three people- is an apostate 'Sahwa' leader from the 'Shammar' tribe from the village of 'Khamsa Talul' that is affiliated with the 'Tel Abta district' (Wilayat al-Jazeera), and he killed a number of the brothers when they attacked the 'Sahwa forces' in the village in 1439 AH (2018 CE). And I oversaw the interrogation with him myself in the 'Security office of the 'al-Ba'aj area". And the one to his right was said to be from the 'al-Juhaish' tribe in the village of 'Abu Mariya' (Telafar area), but the organization displayed them to the people as being 'Peshmerga' taken prisoner in the battle without a shred or hint of shame!
Disdain for the Blood of the Mujahideen Brothers:
I am not divulging a secret when I saw that appointing amirs in the 'Dawla' was not according to standards of aptitude, competency and expertise in Shari'i or worldly academic knowledge all in accordance with what is mastered in one's field. Rather, these appointments came according to personal criteria and mediation defined by old relations and connections as well as links and time-old friendships!
This is the criterion by which most of the amirs of the 'Dawla' gained mastery, and it is one of the most important reasons that led to the disappearance of Ibn Awad's sovereignty and the destruction of his 'Dawla', as most of these people lacked experience and expertise in the work they were assigned. And this chosen one may well be good and fine, but he does not have the competency to bear the burden of what has been entrusted to him.
For in the 'Dawla' matters were not only entrusted to those lacking expertise and experience, but also entrusted to the illiterate who cannot read or write! For example, 'Abu Sadiq al-Afar' and he is an illiterate man to whom amirship of the 'agriculture office of the 'al-Ba'aj area" was entrusted! And another who did not pass the sixth primary grade, and does not know anything about medicine! They entrusted to that person amirsip of the 'health office of the 'al-Ba'aj area". So under his hand was the 'Public Hospital of Ba'aj' and many health centres and medical units! And among the most important sectors impacted by this matter is the sector of the 'Diwan al-Jund', and that is because of amirs knowing nothing about military work then having become military personnel! The military plans were absent in most of the expeditions, and the fortifications were a failure and of no use to the cities targeted by the apostates despite the availability of the capabilities for that from military vehicles and financial sums!
Take the town of 'Sinjar' as an example: more than 2 billion Iraqi dinars were sent on its fortifications but it fell during hours only, as the north of the city was fortified while its west and east were left open to the enemy with the absence of the second defensive lines: this led to the killing of most of the brothers!
Behind these military operations were amirs who only know how to shout on the call devices without regard for the blood of the brothers even as the trustees of the matter know about that!
And on one occasion I was in the car with the brother 'Adnan Dabisha'[xv] and I asked him about a barracks[xvi] in which only four brothers were present! I considered it would be difficult to help it in the event it was subject to an attack in addition to its presence on the front. So he said (and I was shocked on that day): 'I know that this barracks will fall militarily, and if it is subject to an attack, we won't be able to help it, but the amirs in the Diwan al-Jund in Telafar want to keep it in this place despite the face I made clear to them its state, and they know of its placement.
But they want a morale victory in that the barracks is near the two villages of Umm al-Dhayban and Umm Jaris,[xvii] meaning that the area in which the barracks is present is to be considered in media as belonging to Dawla!'
Indeed they were attacked by the apostate 'PKK' and they were all killed: may God accept them.
We were not able to help them! Not for lack of stratagem but because the leadership of the organization has disregard for the blood of the mujahideen!
And this is another incident that likewise makes clear the disregard of Ibn Awad's organization for the blood of the mujahideen: for the order came to attack the village of 'al-Wardiya' west of 'Sinjar', and this expedition was during the battle of 'Mosul'- i.e. before the siege of 'Mosul'- in order to distract the apostate 'Peshmerga', so 'Abu Maryam al-Juburi al-Askari'[xviii] and the amir of auxiliary support in the 'Ibn Taymiyya brigade' and 'Abu Hamza Hudud'[xix] and the amirs of the battalions.
And among them 'Abu Samak al-Afari'[xx] and others met in the village of 'al-Qahtaniya',[xxi] and they ordered the soldiers to head to the village of 'al-Wardiya'. So they headed there in two military convoys from two axes. The first in it went upon one line[xxii]- and I was within that expedition within the second convoy providing help to the first from another axis- directly to the village on the paved road connecting between the village of 'al-Qahtaniya' and the village of 'al-Wardiya' and as though they were on an outing! The number of brothers in that convoy- on that day- was 30, in the middle of whom was the car of a martyrdom operative, so the car of the martyrdom operative was bombed and he was killed along with all the brothers in the convoy (may God accept them).
Among those who perished in that incident: 'Abu Bara' al-Salami'[xxiii] and 'Shuja' al-Salami' and 'Abu Himam al-Mosuli' and the martyrdom operative brother 'Muthanna al-Obeidi'[xxiv] (may God accept them). And this incident I saw with my eye and I witnessed how they were bombed in it. And God is my reliance and He suffices as trustee.
The Battle of Umm al-Dhayban
The apostates came down from 'Sinjar mountain' from a number of axes to the village of 'Umm al-Dhayban' on Friday 16 Jumada al-Akhira 1437 AH (25 March 2016 CE), and in it the brothers had been left without protective arrangements so they would meet their death. And the amirs of the expedition 'Abu Maryam al-Juburi al-Askari' and 'Abu Qasura al-Afari'[xxv] were sitting in the village of 'al-Thawra' that is some kilometres away from 'Umm al-Dhayban'. And from there they squandered the blood of the mujahideen in this losing battle, in order to prove their capabilities, even if at the expense of the brothers and their blood!
The brothers were completely wiped out in the village, as the apostate 'PKK' forces published photos of the slain brothers on the back of bulldozers. And their number approached 100 (and God knows best).
Amirship of the battle inside the village was handed to 'Abu Khalid al-Shammary'[xxvi]: the nutcase by the knowledge of the whole 'area' and not knowing a thing about administering battles, and were it that the amirship were over cars or sabaya the amirs would have quarreled over it! But they abstained in it and handed it to a man they knew perfectly well to be sick! Also the brothers knew that matters had gotten out of control, and despite the lack of presence of aircraft of the apostates in this battle, the atheists were victorious in it.
After this the criminal 'Abu Maryam al-Juburi al-Askari' ordered the martyrdom operative brother 'Abu Ya'qub al-Khatuni'[xxvii]- may God accept him- to conduct a martyrdom operation in which he should blow himself up on a bulldozer of the apostates, so the brother became angry, and said: 'The bulldozer cannot be destroyed by any weapons and not by blowing up my car on it! I will not carry an operation out unless I see something worthy of my carrying out an operation on it and in the event of necessity.' So the criminal became angry at that and threw the brother into prison and accused him of abandonment and retreat. Then when he departed their prison, he- may God accept him- was ordered in the year 1437 AH (2016 CE) to attack a barracks of the apostates of the 'Peshmerga' in the 'Dumayz' area south of 'Sinjar' in an inghimasi operation, so he went out for the operation and when he was besieged he blew up his explosive belt, and the explosive materials in the belt were bad quality materials.
So the explosive belt only blew up the brother- may God accept him- and not one apostate was touch with injury let alone being killed or disabled. And the apostates published the photo of the brother- may God accept him- and he was split into two halves. And God is my reliance and He suffices as trustee.
And after they lost the strategic village of 'Umm al-Dhayban', 'Abu Qasura al-Afari' made a desperate effort with his failing plans to recover it again, so each day he would raid with twenty brothers who would all be killed such that their number exceeded 100- and God is the One whose help is to be sought.
Also 'Abu Qasura al-Afari' brought together the brothers in 'Battalion 96' and 'Battalion 97' (The Ibn Taymiyya Brigade) with their vehicles and heavy weapons, with the exception of a small number of them he left for ribat. Then he took the by night to a place near the borders of Iraq and Syria in order to enter by day into Iraq! So they were to pretend to be advancing to provide support from al-Sham to Iraq, and they were speaking in the accent of the muhajireen in order to deceive the Muslims![xxviii] Then they entered the villages of 'al-Ba'aj' and they asked about 'Mosul', going to extremes in deceiving the Muslims that they were coming from al-Sham, so they entered 'al-Ba'aj' then they separated and returned to their bases!
So that deed of theirs was to cover for the loss of the village of 'Umm al-Dhayban' and likewise to cover the scandals of their disgraceful withdrawals without resistance, and also to deceive people and dupe them that the situation was still good and under control.
The Endemic Ignorance in the Lands of the 'Dawla'
The 'Dawla' organization acted with disdain regarding 'Ilm in a general sense, such that we can say that it was the last of their concerns. For they looked at the 'Ilm institutions and colleges as human resources they could rely on when they needed men to go out to fight, so the student of Shari'i 'Ilm- for example- could not complete one Shari'i course without being asked to do ribat and abandon seeking 'Ilm. And the stories in that regard are many: among them what 'Abu Talut'[xxix] did during the attack of the apostate 'Peshmerga' on the locality of 'Zummar' when he removed students of 'Ilm from the 'Shari'i institute' in 'Wilayat Ninawa' to fight in the year 1435 AH (2014 CE), so most of them were killed there! And likewise he withdrew brothers from the 'military institute' in 'Wilayat Ninawa' to perform ribat in 'Sinjar mountain' north of the village of 'Umm al-Dhayban' in the year 1437 AH (2016 CE) and most of them were killed there before they could complete the lesson in the institute! Also that happened with the students of the 'college of human medicine' in 'Raqqa' when they were withdrawn to fight in 'Wilayat al-Baraka' in the year 1436-1437 AH (2015-2016 CE)!
A great number of the soldiers of the 'Dawla' are very ignorant of the important matters that pertain to the principles of their religion and what is known of it by necessity. For one of the Shari'i officials asked one of the soldiers: Why do you fight? He responded: For the people. And one of the soldiers was asked: How many rak'as are there in the noon prayer? He said: Two rak'as. This is because it can be shortened and not completed, so he believed that the noon prayer is two rakas, as he was on ribat for a number of months!
And the organization's leadership was interest in the combat aspect more than the educational aspect, so ignorance spread among the soldiers and military amirs! And what happened in the story of the sabiya who was sold to six soldiers among them 'Abu Anas Diyala'[xxx] and 'Abu Saleh al-Obeidi' during two months! And all of them lay carnally with her to the point that she said as she was in a pitiful state: 'I have become the woman of the area'![xxxi] [xxxii]The best evidence, and this, without doubt, was caused by the lack of Shari'i knowledge and neglect of it, which led to ignorance of the simplest Shari'i rulings.
The Accusation of Causing Discouragement and Demoralization
Oh causer of demoralization! Oh causer of discouragement! Words that spread in the time of the defeats and withdrawals, and these words were applied to every sympathetic advisor making clear the shortcomings and errors, whether they were errors of some of the amirs or military mistakes, or applied to the one making clear to the amir the weakness of the fortifications or like of ammunition in the places of his 'wilaya.'
And when the amirs visited some of the 'areas', you had to say to them: 'May God reward you best, everything is prepared and there is no shortcoming, and praise be to God.' Woe upon you if you complained of the paucity of food, lack of weapons or leave permits or the like of needs. Your fate would then be transfer to the most distant point, or you would be transferred from the 'area' with it being spread about you among the soldiers that you are a lying causer of discouragement attempting to flee.
And the likes of this is what happened with Sheikh 'Faris al-Mosuli'[xxxiii] (may God accept him) for he was withdrawing brothers from the 'Diwans' to the front when they were needed, and he would replace them after specific time periods.
He was asked on one occasion to document the names of the brothers who can mobilize to fight in the event of the need for them, so the sheikh documented a number not exceeding 1000 mujahideen, so he was summoned and accused of lying and causing demoralization, and that the available number was more than that. Then he was expelled from his position, falsehoods were spread about and he was marginalized. And he was killed- may God accept him- in the 'Mosul' battle.
As for the supported amirs who flatter the authority and do not arouse its anger, and answer its requests, they are not held to account for what they do from crimes against the religion and the general mass of the Muslims and the mujahideen. And the story of 'Abu Ghafran al-Obeidi'[xxxiv] and 'Abu Mousa al-Obeidi'[xxxv] is not far from us, for after 'Sinjar' was assaulted and the sabaya were taken and before their division among the brothers, the two amirs came upon the sabaya and chose two of them to spend a whole night with them and then they returned them in the morning! And this issue is known by the whole 'al-Ba'aj area' and among them the amir of the area 'Abu Maryam al-Juburi'[xxxvi] and his deputy 'Abu Hilal al-Hadidi'[xxxvii] (may God accept him) and 'Abu Ghafran' and 'Abu Mousa' were not held to account for what their hands committed! And the reason is that their deed did not infringe upon the leadership of the 'Dawla' organization and they did not infringe upon them. But were there in the matter advice for the authority, the doer would be held to account and accused of splitting the ranks.
And likewise happened with Sheikh 'Abu A'isha al-Badrani' and the brother 'Abu Farhan al-Shari'i'[xxxviii] when the two entered into an uproar of problems with the amirs of 'Wilayat al-Jazeera', so their reward was being distanced in revenge against them and to put them down, so Sheikh 'Abu A'isha al-Badarani' was moved to 'Wilayat Shamal Baghdad' without the need for him there, as there only remained of it some of the villages in 'Jazeerat al-Siniya'!
And after the apostate 'Hashd Sha'abi' seized 'Wilayat Shamal Baghdad' and ended its presence, the sheikh returned to 'Mosul'. As for the brother 'Abu Farhan al-Shari'i' he was transferred to 'Jazeerat al-Khalidiya'[xxxix] (Wilayat al-Anbar), and likewise without need for them there, for the area had come to an end militarily, and he was suffering from an impediment in one of his eyes and wearing medical glasses and he was an old man! But they are a people who do not know what is right for an old person and what is known for a knowledgeable person!
As soon as he entered 'Jazeerat al-Khalidiya', the area was besieged entirely and news of him was cut off from us, and it was said: that he was killed. And when I was in al-Sham, one of the brothers mentioned to me in a meeting what happened in 'Jazeerat al-Khalidiya': so I asked him about the brother 'Abu Farhan', so he praised him saying: 'The brother Abu Farhan remained fighting and urging the brothers to fight until he was exposed to aircraft bombing, as a result of which he was wounded at the level of his foot which prevented him from walking, and during the brothers' withdrawal from the Jazeera by night infiltrating between the barracks of the apostates- as individuals or small groups- the brother Abu Farhan was unable to go out with us, so he asked us to abandon it, and we placed among him his arms and withdrew,[xl] and we do not know his fate after that.'
So I was silent then, and I did not say to him that the amirs of the 'wilaya' are the ones who sent him to 'Jazeerat al-Khalidiya' to be rid of him and all who criticize them, advise them or demand the rights of the brothers!
The Crisis of Kafalas[xli]
After the 'Dawla' organization withdrew from the countryside areas of 'Deir al-Zor' (al-Sham) and became confined in 'Hajin', the kafalas were stopped! Despite the need of the brothers and their families and their deep financial poverty such that many of the muhajireen were compelled to open 'stalls'[xlii] to sell vegetables and the like in search for a piece of livelihood, Ibn Awad left them without a helper and indeed abandoned them completely.
It got to the point with the mujahideen in the shade of the tyranny of the degenerate Ibn Awad and his fleeing thugs to plead with their families through messages. They did this in the hope that they might get a transfer of money from them that could help them over the hardship of living, or in the hope that they might escape from the siege of the apostates through what would be sent to them by paying huge sums of money, allowing them to cross through smugglers to leave a corrupt authority in which the Muslims were being killed of hunger before the missiles of the disbelievers and apostates should annihilate them!
And all according to one's means and ability.
And the worse thing here exceeded what Ibn Awad did inside his bygone authority.
This evil person committed a great betrayal of trust and act of stinginess, as he would regularly send the kafalas- in the times during which the brothers in 'Hajin' and its countryside areas were suffering from the siege and catastrophes accompanying it- to his soldiers operating in the amni units in the areas of the apostate 'Iraqi army' and 'Hashd Sha'abi', and to their families and the families of the Iraqi mujahideen who had been killed and the Iraqi prisoners. In return he halted the kafalas of the mujahideen and their families besieged in 'Hajin'!!
An ignorant or negligent person may say that the 'Dawla' was besieged, so Ibn Awad could not insert money inside the 'Dawla', and to this I say, seeking help in God:
1. The money that was distributed to the brothers and their families in Iraq was sent from al-Sham and not Iraq! So how can he organize their dispatch to Iraq when Iraq is entirely under the authority of the apostate Iraqi government! Then he cannot send them to the brothers in al-Sham?!
I also have complete familiarity with the matter, for I was in contact with one of the brothers in Iraq from the city of 'Mosul' in particular, and he would receive the money via exchange offices from 'al-Hasakah', and those who received the money: 'Abbas'[xliii] and 'Abu Ayyub al-Mosuli'[xliv] (may God free them both).
2. How can the families of the brothers send money to their sons in the besieged areas, while the 'Caliph' cannot convey them to his citizens?! And the exchange offices were spread in the locality of 'al-Sousa' and others. Indeed I myself transferred money to a wounded brother who had been abandoned by Ibn Awad and his retinue to his death, and he had no money, and after contacting his family they rejecting helping him and giving him relief, because he was affiliated with this 'Dawla' that forsook him, so he was crying as he spoke to me, and God is the One whose help is to be sought.
3. Tons of gold and money were buried in the depth of the desert so Ibn Awad's group could extract them later, and one of the shepherds of the 'al-Awda' tribe found big quantities of gold buried near the village of 'al-Jughaifi' in the 'al-Ba'aj' desert between Iraq and al-Sham, and when the news of the buried gold reached the apostate 'Hashd Sha'abi' they mobilized to hunt him such that he entered the Kurdish 'Arbil' region and the operation to catch him in it continued.
And these treasures and spoils were gathered over the corpses of the brothers and their blood, but the oppressive sower of corruption and his corrupt retinue abandoned them without regard for their need and their families! They abandoned them to be killed by hunger and poverty before being killed by the Crusader 'international coalition' aircraft. And God is our reliance and He suffices as trustee.
The Crisis of War Spoils
After God (Almighty and Exalted is He) granted for the mujahideen in the 'Dawla' to conquer vast regions in Iraq and likewise in al-Sham, which included a number of areas of the Christians in 'Ninawa'- for example- and the areas of the Yezidis in 'Sinjar' and the areas of the Rafidites in 'Telafar' and other places. Many of the disbelievers following those great conquests had left their homes, leaving behind their possessions and wealth that became war spoils for the mujahideen which they took by their jihad, fighting and struggle. And all of them expected the distribution of the spoils in accordance with the share of each one of them- for each one who has a right takes his right- but Ibn Awad had another opinion!
For there are some of the areas like the 'Sahl Ninawa' area that includes a number of localities among them: the locality of 'Bartella' and 'Ba'shiqa' and the town of 'al-Hamdaniya', and the people of these localities fled from them and are of the Christians, leaving their possessions as they were. But most of the homes' locks were not opened, and what the mujahideen earned as spoils was not distributed for three years until the apostate 'Hashd Sha'abi' came and seized them!
Some precious things were taken from some of the homes, while the furniture was left as it was despite the urgent need of the Muslims for them. And whoso lived in the 'Dawla' knows how endemic poverty was in its areas, but how can we expect from Ibn Awad to distribute the war spoils to the Muslims when he barred the mujahideen who have priority over them from their right to them?! And if you wished to take something from your spoils and you did not have a position among Ibn Awad and his group, you had to gain agreement for your request for war spoils from your direct amir!
Then you needed agreement from the amir of the 'office of the area' for the Diwan to which you were affiliated!
And finally you had to seek agreement from the 'war spoils office of the area'! This request which could take months and strenuous efforts surrounded with stamps of the officials so you could have your case reviewed! And you would not be able to obtain this agreement except after your leave of absence had ended in searching for the request document, so the mujahid who went to ribat and was then given leave permit to visit his family, would spend his leave permit in going to places and looking for the agreements!
As for in the 'al-Ba'aj area', the matter was easier than 'Ninawa' because the 'area' was small in comparison with 'Ninawa', in addition to the fact the brothers knew each other more. So the division of the spoils was better, and despite that it was not devoid of the oppression and negligence in what they call the wealth of the Muslims from which the Muslims did not take their entire right. For in the 'Sinjar' areas and their countryside areas, grocery stores were abandoned while the foodstuffs were thrown on the roads, and it was forbidden to take them. And the 'Solagh market'[xlv] is the best evidence for that, for the people would pass through it and they would see piles of vegetables and they were being destroyed and they did not dare to take them. Likewise they banned the distribution of clothes and furniture such that they corroded under the rain. In addition to that they burnt the homes in 'Sinjar' in 1436 AH (end of 2014 CE) at the time of the attack including their contents of furniture, bedrooms, fridges and other things the people need, in order to be an air cover obstructing the aircraft! And in 1436 AH (beginning of 2015 CE), one of the brothers of the military personnel entered for ribat and was wearing new shoes from one of the shops, so the issue of his new shoes reached the 'al-Ba'aj area'.
So the administrative official 'Abu Ahmad al-Mousawi'[xlvi] confiscated the shoes from the brother and accused him of ghalul and had it returned to the shop. Some time later, the same shoes were seen and they had been destroyed by the rain!!
And this story is famous well-known in the 'al-Ba'aj' area, and God is our reliance and He suffices as trustee.
Yes, the spoils were distributed to many of the brothers, and I am among those who got their share of the spoils, but they were not distributed with justice and fairness, so my taking of my right does not mean I should be silent about the rights of others besides me!
When the Muslims were displaced from the areas of 'Shamal Baghdad' and 'Salah al-Din' and 'Dijla' and other areas after their occupation by the forces of the apostate Hashd Sha'abi, they arrived in 'Ninawa' and they were in their cars and clothing only, and most of them were barred from carrying their things with them. And it is well known to the one who lived in the 'Dawla' areas that if an area was attacked, the individual was barred from leaving it,[xlvii] just as he was barred from carrying the things of his house. And when the displaced reached our areas, no concern was shown for them and they were not given anything except those who made individual efforts and gave them something from themselves.
For the people from the people of the 'wilaya' offered them bedding and other things, and the reason for their marginalization was that they were from another 'wilaya' and it was not allowed to grant anything to them from the 'wilaya' to which they were not affiliated.
These were the orders of the just, pious and pure 'Delegated Committee'!
If one of them should say: 'They gave to the ones who participated in the expeditions only, and the rest was spent on the battles.'
I say: they gave spoils to persons who were sitting in their homes, and that was according to favouritism and closeness to the amir! For example in 1436 AH (August 2014 CE), sabaya were taken to 'Ninawa' before their distribution to those who participated in the conquest of 'Sinjar' and after most of them had been taken- indeed every official took what he wanted such that some of them took more than one sabiya, they returned the remaining ones to 'al-Ba'aj', and distributed the remainder of them to those who carried out the expedition.
The amirs enjoyed the war spoils, and when I say the amirs, I do not mean them all absolutely but I mean the majority of them, for among them are people better than I who offered to Islam what they offered- we reckon them as such and God is their reckoner- and among those whose houses were filled with war spoils was the one called 'Abu Sumayya al-Juburi'[xlviii] in whose house was everything he desired from the war spoils of 'Sahl Ninawa': and God is my reliance and He suffices as trustee.
The Crisis of Real Estate
What happened in the 'Diwan al-Aqarat' is not far removed from what happened in the 'Diwan al-Ghana'im' and the 'Diwan al-Aqarat' was responsible for every piece of real estate that was seized and became property of the 'Dawla' organization. And seizing the real estate took two forms.
First form: real estate of the disbelievers from the Christians of 'Mosul', Yezidis, Rafidites and apostates who left their real estate and homes and fled on the conquest, so they were confiscated.
Second form: real estate of the Muslims who left the land of the 'Dawla' and fled outside it, so it became tantamount to detaining and preserving- temporary waqf- for the 'Dawla' organization.
The oppression of the 'Diwan al-Aqarat' was a serious problem in the 'wilayas' in general, but I will speak about the real estate of 'Ninawa' in particular, because I tasted their oppression and witnessed their lying, for despite the presence of much real estate in 'Wilayat Ninawa', the 'Diwan al-Aqarat' certified many oppressive decisions, among them: that the real estate in 'Ninawa' should only be for the one working in 'Wilayat Ninawa'- exclusively- even if the one striving to possess a piece of real estate was of the inhabitants of 'Ninawa' but worked in another 'wilaya', so he would not be allowed to possess a piece of real estate in the 'wilaya', so he would not be given a house to safeguard or a refuge for him and his dependents even if he was in urgent need of it or was even displaced. And I personally- for example- am of the inhabitants of 'Mosul' and worked in 'Wilayat al-Jazeera' and I asked for a house in 1436 AH (2015 CE) moving from one directorate to another and from office to office for a period of three years until the battle of 'Mosul' happened with the house document in my pocket, but I did not take a house and I tore up the document at the time.
Likewise the people of 'Wilayat Salah al-Din' and 'Dijla' and 'Diyala' and others who were displaced from their homes because of the advance of the apostate 'Hashd Sha'abi', rejecting to remain under the rule of the Rafidites and retreating to the land of the 'Caliphate' migration towards which 'its Caliph' had called for, were met with rejection to give them anything from the real estate inside 'Ninawa'. And those of them who dwelt in a home affiliated with the 'real estate centre (Wilayat Ninawa)' were expelled, and whoso did not leave voluntarily was expelled forcibly. So where is the brotherhood in Islam? Where is the mercy? Where is the justice? Why do you call people to migrate and you condemn those of them who have remained in the areas of the apostates! And you do not give them refuge! How far removed you are from the ansar who shared their homes with the muhajireen and nourished their dependents?! How far removed you are from your lie about a 'Caliphate on the Prophetic Methodology'?!
And someone may response to me saying: 'They were given homes in the locality of Telkeppe or the locality of Telafar.'
I say: true, they were given houses there. But why there exactly?
The response: because those areas were empty- more or less of people, and no one wanted them, and they are near the enemy. As for the homes inside 'Mosul', they were the preserve of the amirs and leaders, and especially the advanced neighbourhoods like 'al-Tayran' and 'al-Dandan' and 'al-Muhandiseen' and others, for they were in the hands of the thugs of Ibn Awad, and many of the brothers and Muslim masses were expelled from the homes that are affiliated with the 'real estate centre of Wilayat al-Mosul.'
And among them an elderly sheikh in the 'al-Tanak' neighbourhood, and he was a father for three mujahideen sons who died in the battles. He was expelled from his home, because an old-time brother wanted a home! And because the elderly sheikh was a displaced person from the people of the locality of 'Zummar', and not from 'Ninawa'. And his sin was the sin of his sons who were killed in another 'wilaya': they were not of the peoples of 'Ninawa'.
The Crisis of Partiality and Favouritism
Ibn Awad and his following would engage in two measures in dealing with the mujahideen. This was in favouritism and according to mediation. And it is what was done whether or not the stupid 'Caliph' knew the stratification in the sectors of the 'Dawla', for the amirs had a higher class and the soldiers a lower class. That is, the amir had distinctions and special matters not in which the poor soldier had no share or portion. And the amirship became an honouring for them and not an entrustment upon them. And the Imam of the sowers of corruption and tyrannical one was able to silence his soldiers and compel them upon this bitter reality with ahadith of hearing and obeying the amir and not resisting or rejecting his order. And you, oh soldier, are rewarded in all cases: for if the amir gets it right, you have the reward and prize of in following him, and if he is wrong and oppresses and steals and sleeps in your house while you are on ribat, you will be rewarded for your endurance of his wrongdoing. And you have no right to speak at all. For if you speak, you are splitting the rank! Which was split anyway as a result of the silence and acceptance and contentment and not condemning what is to be condemned. And for you the prison of the 'military police' was on the lookout!
And the matters in which Ibn Awad discriminated between the soldiers and amirs are many, the most important of which:
1. Connections and movements
The 'Dawla' had many cars exceeding its need on most occasions. This is besides what was taken as spoils from 'Mosul' from countless vehicles.
And whoso has seen the release 'A Year Since the Conquest'[xlix] or the release 'Security and Safety in the Islamic State'[l] is aware of what I say, for the 'Dawla' was never poor, and never suffered in terms of vehicles, but it neglected its soldiers intentionally, and made their living and life difficult, and did not make use in a just sense of what God (Almighty and Exalted is He) provided it. But rather it turned away from justice to tyranny and discriminating according to the positions. For every amir had a private car for himself to visit his family at the time of leave permit just as their fuel was at the expense of the 'Dawla'! Indeed the car would remain with him in his house until his leave permit came to an end and he would return with it, while we the soldiers had to rely on ourselves! One of us might spend the first day of his leave permit on the roads in the hope that one of the car owners of the Muslim populace might stop for him out of compassion and sympathy, so he would carry him in his car to his people, and likewise the state on the last day of the leave permit, as we would stand on the roadway in the hope we might find a car to take us back to the areas near the ribat so we could undertake our tasks. But if only these oppressors had been content with this and kept worse harm from us! For the evil 'Abu Muthanna al-Shammary'[li] in 1436 AH (end of 2014 CE) wrote a sahifa like that sahifa of the idolaters of Quraysh that was imposed on the Banu Hashim when they protected the Messenger of God (SAWS) from those who wanted to kill him by placing him (SAWS) into the people of Abu Talib.
So when the disbelievers of Quraysh knew what the Hawashim had done, they brought together their affair on a sahifa in which they would boycott the Bani Hashim, not eating with them, not intermarrying with them and not sitting with them and not entering their homes until they should hand over the Messenger of God (SAWS) to be killed![lii] So this sinful man placed in the form of a sign that he planted on the road connecting between Iraq and al-Sham and wrote upon it: 'To the truck[liii] drivers: it is absolutely forbidden to carry any of the soldiers of the 'Islamic State' in the truck, and whoso contravenes that will be liable to Shari'i inquiry'! But it was torn up by the brothers. Also these immoral people were condemned for preventing the masses from taking the soldiers with them as they did not make available special vehicles to take the brothers to their families, and we do not know whether they wanted the brothers to go out to leave permit walking on foot for example?!
The justification of the criminal 'Abu Muthanna al-Shammary' for his deed was as follows: 'We wrote it to prevent tasayyub of the soldiers, and to put a stop to brothers coming down without order'! And in the end they designated for us three transport cars, to transport all the soldiers of the 'area'! On one occasion, the military administrative official for the 'Battalion 96' in the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' (Ayn Jalut Division) refused to provide the transportation car particular to our group with fuel, so one of the brothers bought the fuel at his own expense, while the fuel was facilitated for the velvety class of the amirs and the rest of the royal troupe!
2. Ribat
The obligation of ribat on the frontlines was particular for the soldiers only without the amirs- except the one upon whom God has had mercy- according to the Shari'a of Ibn Awad and the understanding of jihad particular to his imaginary Caliphate. A reader may say: 'They were busy with administering the affairs of the mujahideen!' I say to him: And why are the affairs of the mujahideen not administered with them and amid them?! For thus the amir can assess their needs on his eye, and realize their deficiencies, and then he can know how to administer their affairs correctly and not lack a real grasp of the situation!
Indeed many of the amirs did not even sleep in the military bases with the soldiers! And they were returning to their homes or private bases that would be in the centre of the town or locality far removed from the point of ribat! Likewise would the walis of Ibn Awad administer the 'areas' that were entrusted to them! For example: the brothers were performing ribat on 'Sinjar mountain' while the amirs- military ones of the battle- would sleep in the locality of 'al-Ba'aj'! So 'Abu Daham al-Asmar'[liv] was sleeping in the locality of 'al-Ba'aj' that was around 40km away from the place of ribat! And he would come in the morning to see the brothers then return to his house by evening, and likewise was 'Abu Musa al-Obeidi',[lv] and likewise acted 'Abu Muthanna al-Shammary' who was sleeping with his sabiya in 'al-Ba'aj', and likewise 'al-Kaylani',[lvi] and likewise 'Abu Askar al-Shammary'[lvii] who was sleeping in his home when the Yezidis advanced to the village of 'Bara' and seized it, and he was left alone without trial.
And in that battle some of the brothers were killed and their corpses defiled and some of the others were able to flee! And there were only eight brothers- young of age- in the village when the attack happened.
Let us go back to 'Abu Muthanna al-Shammary' and his last administration of the 'battle of Baiji' that fell in its entirety into the hands of the Rafidites, and also the locality of 'al-Siniya' and the 'refineries' and other places! He and the rest of the amirs with him were managing the battles while sitting in the locality of 'al-Shirqat' (Wilayat Dijla) and the brothers were besieged in those places, then they withdrew in Safr 1437 AH (end of November 2015 CE).
3. Leave permits
When the mobilization was announced the leave permits stopped, and the mobilization would be: either because of the advance of the apostates or expectation of their advance or another important matter pertaining to withdrawal and retreat, so the general mass of brothers were banned from visiting their families, whereas the amirs were outside the assignment, so they would go to visit their families whenever they wanted, for the ban did not include them, and they were not concerned with it, whereas the decision of ban and prohibition would only apply to the simple soldier! This soldier who I don't know how they could except him to trust them, obey them and love them when they dealt with him in complete lowliness whereas the amirs enjoyed different, distinguished treatment!
When 'Sinjar' fell into the hands of the apostate 'Peshmerga' on Sunday 2 Rabi' al-Awal 1437 AH (13 December 2015 CE), the general mobilization was announced twenty days before the fall, when information came informing of the advance of the apostates, but when the apostates entered 'Sinjar' and its 'mountain' the soldiers of the 'al-Ba'aj area' did not find those among them who might administer the battle and lead them!
For 'al-Mulla Ghareeb al-Turkmani'[lviii] and 'Abu Eisa al-Azeri'[lix] and 'Abu Bilal al-Harbi'[lx] were all on leave permit! While the soldiers remained on ribat on the fronts without a leader for the battle! The matter is not surprising when I tell you that the one who administered the battle of resisting the first attack on 'Sinjar' on Friday 27 Safr 1436 AH (19th December 2014 CE) was 'Abu A'isha' al-Juburi'[lxi] who was withdrawn in 'al-Ba'aj' and communicating over his call device! Those were the standards with which the mujahideen in the Dawla of Baghdadi's ilk were dealing!
Leaving the lands of the 'Dawla' between the amirs and the Muslim masses:
I will be of no help to the Muslim masses who lived as a riffraff in the lands of the 'Dawla' by ignoring their right upon me in mentioning some of the events and occurrences and misdeeds that happened to them in the authority of Baghdadi's ilk, and just as I showed some of what the hand of Ibn Awad committed against the mujahideen, I will convey examples of that regarding what happened to the Muslim masses.
All who lived in the 'Dawla' will by necessity know and be aware of the poverty of these people and their dire need in those bygone days when the war spoils of the oil wells filled the lands of the 'Dawla' without their giving anything of them to the people despite their poverty except through bribery.[lxii]
But also Ibn Awad would sell oil to the Muslims in the dollar and would not accept from them a currency besides it in a scathing blow to the claim of a 'war against the American currency' that he falsely called for. Also Ibn Awad in many of the stages of the 'Dawla' did not make available for the Muslim masses anything notable of the basics of their needs, then he added to this tyranny and oppression of his as he prevented them from going out to the land of kufr on the claim of fear for them of falling into apostasy! And how awful was that flimsy excuse that led this criminal to spill the blood of the Muslims, permitting their sacrosanct blood to be shed by declaring takfir on them without an act causing kufr, while all who left his 'Dawla' were being killed on the claim of their apostasy! His 'walis' and those close to him would bring out their families to 'Baghdad' and 'Arbil' while securing all their need from wealth, houses and food!
Yes, in the law of Baghdadi's ilk all that was permitted for the amirs and forbidden to the Muslim masses! So this 'Abu Shu'aib al-Khatuni'[lxiii] got his family out to Turkey and married another woman! And 'Qutaiba'[lxiv] got his family out to 'Baghdad'! And 'Abu Hamza al-Kurdi'[lxv] kept his family in 'Baghdad' to protect them and he did not bring them from the outset to the land of the 'Caliphate'!
And 'Abu Yahya al-Bajari'[lxvi] and 'Abu Imran' and 'Abu Qasim al-Juburi'[lxvii] and 'Abu Ayah al-Hamadi'[lxviii] and 'Ya'arab al-Khatouni'[lxix]: all of them got their families out of 'Mosul'! And others who got their families out of 'Mosul' and 'Telafar' before the siege! Meanwhile the immoral 'Diwan al-Amn' prevented the Muslim masses from leaving during the siege! As for those of them could get out, these people are apostates in one word who wanted the idolaters and dressed up for them!! This is the ruling of Baghdadi's ilk on them! And I do not know why the servants of Baghdadi's decrees cover their eyes and shut off their ears and hide their clothing from the deeds of their amirs?! While their sights are iron upon the compelled and oppressed of the Muslims! The ilk of Ibn Awad have pretended to forget the grace of the Muslims upon them after they brought them food when they were displaced in the scorching heat![lxx] These masses- as they call them- are the ones who gave them refuge between the years 1429 and 1435 AH (2008 and 2014 CE)![lxxi] And after the disappearance of their authority and their return to the desert in the year 1439 AH (2017 CE), one of the shepherds[lxxii] said to 'Abu Anas al-Saba"[lxxiii] as he was frustrated:
'We helped you previously and offered you what you need without anything in return, and after God (Almighty and Exalted is He) granted you conquest and you established the Dawla, you forgot us and you did not care or us and you did not dig one well for us from which we and our folks may draw water. And you did not even offer us livestock fodder in addition to other needs of ours. And now you have returned to us again, but we will stand with you!' So is the ihsan of the likes of these people to be met with iron and fire in compensation?!
'And those who have given refuge and support: these are the believers in truth. For them are forgiveness and generous provision' (al-Anfal 74).
'I Have Repented to You'[lxxiv]
I came out for jihad with the rest of those who went out answering the call of jihad for the 'Islamic State', and like most of those who joined it from the muhajireen and ansar, my objective from mobilizing was to raise the banner of Tawheed and make supreme the word of God Almighty and apply His law that had been made absent from all of the earth, but the path of jihad is fraught with thorns and filled with tribulations and surrounded with doubts and cravings. And I- may God forgive me- was among those who fell into the claws of these tribulations that became endemic in the land of the 'Dawla' like portions of the dark night, for I was among those who joined the 'Diwan al-Amn al-Aam' and implemented the immoral, fatal, tyrannical and insolent orders whether they were correct and right or oppressive and mistaken. I did so without being sure of them on my part and without the slightest review, out of blind obedience and error. So I oppressed as they oppressed, and I attacked with them those they attacked of the Muslims, and I killed with them and plundered in the accompaniment of them. And I was likewise among those who joined the 'Diwan al-Jund' in which I saw from shock what I saw of the disdain of the walis of the mighty 'Ibrahim bin Awad' for the blood of the brothers and their pure, evident tyranny.
I was wounded during the bombing of the Crusader 'international coalition' and I was made to refrain from the jihad and I continued to remain treatment until I left the lands of the 'Dawla' and until recently I did not see anything bad in the 'Diwan al-Amn al-Aam' until I came across- by God's granting of success and blessing'- the book 'Remove the hands from allegiance to al-Baghdadi'[lxxv] by the eloquent sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Hashimi (may God protect him and reward him best on behalf of the Ummah of Islam).
For it is as though someone woke me upon from my slumber and perhaps punched me so that I should return to my guidance, or as though I was in a state of intoxication and then woke up. For I began reviewing our deeds in the 'Diwan al-Amn' deed by deed, and rememberance returned to me to recover with it memory of the oppression that the immoral people of this 'Diwan' inflicted on the Muslims. And I was part of it, having a review of it and participating in it. And I do not forget how one of the brothers helped me and called on me to repent and make right what I corrupted. Also he noted to me on his part the state of the 'Diwan al-Amn' in al-Sham and some of the events that happened to him in that area from the matter of the innovators of that tyrannical 'Diwan', and perhaps I should inform the people that if Sheikh Abu Muhammad al-Hashimi stood before me now I would not know him. Also the brother showed me the advice of the sheikh to Ibn Awad that he titled: 'Hashimi advice to the Amir of the Islamic State',[lxxvi] of which I had heard previously but I willingly shut my ears off from it. So I did not read it, besides some of the erroneous tyrannical people who claimed before me in accusation that he was a 'khariji wanting to splint the ranks.' So I did not pay attention to his advice then, as I saw how the thugs answered the sheikh! And how they shut off their ears from hearing the voice of truth! And how they declared to be false realities, some of which I knew myself! And how their tongues extended in attacking, distorting and falsifying to the point that they declared takfir on the sheikh and accused him of collaboration! Also they defended the immoral Diwan called 'Diwan al-Amn'! Alongside all that was the discussion 'Mu'assasat al-Turath al-'Ilmi' held with the educated sheikh Abu Eisa al-Masri (may God protect him) during which he called to publish what was established regarding the affair of this deviant sect, and exposing the falseness of their slogans.[lxxvii] So I embraced exposing the realities to this Ummah that Baghdadi's ilk have violently misled, and making clear to the reality and refuting their lies and exposing their distortions.
And let this witness of mine be the witness of truth before God (Almighty and Exalted is He), and certifying my repentance and regret for what I did, carried out and committed. By God I ask for acceptance of my repentance and for Him to honour me with the beauty of His forgiveness and pardon.
The Almighty has said: 'Say, oh my servants who have committed excess against themselves, do not despair of God's mercy. Indeed God forgives sins entirely. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful' (al-Zummar 53).
[i] After the establishment of the 'Diwan al-Jund' and connection of the military with it and its separation from the 'wilayas', military divisions affiliated with it were established, among them: the 'Ayn Jalut' division operating in 'Wilayat al-Jazeera' and composed of four military brigades, one of them the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' that operated on the lines of the 'Sinjar' front against the apostate 'Peshmerga' forces. Its work extended from the locality of 'Balij' in the east to the artificial borders between Iraq and Syria in the west. The brigade was divided into three military battalions: 'Battalion 95' operating in the 'Balij area', 'Battalion 96' operating in the 'al-Mujamma'at' area, and 'Battalion 97' operating in the 'borders' area.
[ii] 'Testimony of a Repenting Amni' (part 1), by the author, first printing: 'Mu'assasat al-Wafa' al-Ilamiya' Ramadan 1440 AH (May 2019 CE).
[iii] The amirs would repeat this expression devoid of truth, in order to delude and feign cohesiveness and power, and when their lie was exposed people began throwing the expression on our ears in scorn. So sooner would a region fall than they came to us laughing in scorn: 'News is good'!
[iv] The visual release: 'Steadfastness of the Lions' by Mu'assasat al-Itisam for Media Production 1436 AH (2014 CE).
[v] Al-Mahmudiya: a village affiliated with the 'Rabi'a' district, and located northwest of 'Mosul'. The 'Dawla' organization was on its borders.
[vi] The withdrawal of the 'Dawla' from 'Rabi'a' to 'Sinjar' came in two stages:
1. The withdrawal occurred in it from the borders of the village of 'al-Mahmudiya' to the village of 'Oweinat' and the villages of 'Rabi'a' and the villages of 'Zummar', like 'al-Hajna' and 'al-Qusayr' and others, and that was on date Wednesday 7 Dhu al-Hijja 1435 AH (1 October 2014 CE).
2. The withdrawal came in it from the village of 'Oweinat' and the villages of 'Rabi'a' and the villages of 'Zummar', like 'al-Hajna' and 'al-Qusayr' and others, to the locality of 'Sinjar' on date 28 Safr 1436 AH (20 December 2014 CE).
[vii] Even some of the brothers from the inhabitants of 'Rabi'a' were on leave permit, and they did not know of the withdrawal of the 'Dawla' except when the apostates assaulted their homes and dwellings! And among them: 'Abu Falah al-Juburi' (Abu Falah al-Shorti) and he worked in the 'Islamic police' in the 'al-Ba'aj' area.
[viii] Abu Karam al-Hadidi (Abu Karam al-Askari): the general military official for the 'al-Ba'aj' area, then the general military official for the 'Telkeppe area' affiliated with the 'Mu'ta Division' in 'Wilayat Ninawa'. He was killed in the 'Mosul' battles.
[ix] Minute: 2:47-3:09
[x] Minute: 2:30-2:40.
[xi] Minute: 8:24-9:00.
[xii] Abu A'isha al-Badrani (Abu A'isha al-Shari'i): Shari'i of the 'al-Ba'aj area'. He was besieged in 'Mosul' and his fate after that is not known. May God protect him he is alive, accept him if he has been killed, and free him if he has been taken prisoner.
[xiii] Al-Ba'aj: a locality located 50km from the Iraqi-Syrian borders, evacuated by the organization weeks before the 'Iraqi army' came to it! For the forces of the 'Dawla' organization withdrew from the locality when the 'Iraqi army' was 20km away from it, and the organization handed it over without being subject to bombing or siege and without bothering to plant one mine in it. And the apostates entered it on Sunday 10 Ramadan 1438 AH (4 June 2017 CE), and the organization had gathered its fighters in the border villages, like the villages of 'al-Jughaifi' and 'al-Risala' and when the apostate 'Iraqi army' advanced, the organization withdrew from the area and handed it over entirely to the Rafidites.
[xiv] Minute: 4:59-6:50.
[xv] Adnan Dabisha: the word 'Dabisha' was attributed to him because he is of the village of 'Dabisha' belonging to the locality of 'Rabi'a'. And he was the general military official for 'Battalion 97'.
[xvi] Located between the two villages of 'Umm al-Dhayban' and 'al-Hanoush' and it is around 5-10km from the artificial borders between Iraq and Syria.
[xvii] Umm al-Dhayban and Umm Jaris: two villages adjacent to each other and located south of 'Sinjar mountain' on the road connecting between Iraq and al-Sham, and they were affiliated with the 'al-Ba'aj area' (Wilayat al-Jazeera).
[xviii] Abu Maryam al-Juburi al-Askari: of Turkmen origin. He chose the surname 'al-Juburi' for camouflage. The amir of the 'Ayn Jalut division,' and his brother was 'Abu Husam,' known by the name of 'The Doctor'- the other pseudonym for him- [He was the first wali of 'Wilayat al-Jazeera' after its establishment. Then he was appointed wali over 'Kirkuk, then the official for taking 'allegiance pledges' for Ibn Awad of the newcomers to the ranks of the organization in 'Wilayat Ninawa', and likewise the security wilayas in Iraq outside the authority of the 'Dawla' like 'WIlayat Baghdad' with 'Abu Mustafa Bay'at' and 'Abu Mustafa' was the official for taking the general 'allegiance pledges' for the 'Dawla', so no one belonging to the 'Dawla' had the right to take an allegiance pledge for a soldier except him. Also 'Abu Mustafa' oversaw likewise the 'repentances' and he was coarse and rude and unpolished in dealing with others. I met him in an incident personally, and it was when a checkpoint for the 'Dawla' detained a policeman who had repented since 28-29-1430 AH (2008 CE)! Then they imposed upon him bringing a pistol of 'Glock' type. So I took him to 'Abu Mustafa' to make clear his case to him. He said: 'He is to be fined even if he is an old repenter'! And indeed, they fined him despite his old repentance that he followed up with his aid for the brothers since 1431-1432 AH (2010 CE), on the testimony of 'Abu Saleh al-Obeidi' (Abu Saleh al-Amni). And 'Abu Husam' was killed in a strike by the Crusader 'international coalition'].
[xix] Abu Hamza Hudud: the amir of 'Battalion 95' in the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' (Ayn Jalut division).
[xx] Abu Samak al-Afari: the amir of 'Battalion 96' in the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' (Ayn Jalut division).
[xxi] Al-Qahtaniya: locality located south of the town of 'Sinjar', and it is considered a residential complex for the Yezidis.
[xxii] That is: car behind car.
[xxiii] Abu Bara' al-Salami: Saleh Aidan Oqlah al-Salami. He was a policeman affiliated with the 'Iraqi police': then he repented from his apostasy. And he gave allegiance to the 'Dawla' during the attack on 'Sinjar'.
[xxiv] He appeared in the release 'Course of the Battles in Wilayat al-Jazeera'- issued by the 'Media Office for Wilayat al-Jazeera': Safr 1438 AH (November 2016 CE) in minute 3:20-3:22.
[xxv] Abu Qasura al-Afari (Abu Qasura al-Askari): amir of the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade'. He was called by the kunya 'Abu Dawoud' an after he fled from 'Zummar' and 'Rabi'a' he changed his kunya to 'Abu Qasura'.
[xxvi] Abu Khalid al-Shammary: of the people of the locality of 'Rabi'a' and he was a man afflicted with deficiency in his mind- may God heal him. He was transferred as rebuke for his smoking cigarettes- and I was witness to the incident personally- from 'Battalion 96' to 'Battalion 97'. And we were surprised by his receiving amirship of the battle in the village of 'Umm al-Dhayban' days after his transfer!
[xxvii] A photo of his was published on the channel 'Nashir al-Dawla al-Islamiya' on Telegram on date Friday 14 Rajab 1437 AH (22 April 2016 CE).
[xxviii] And that is for the affection that God Almighty placed in their hearts for their brothers of the mujahideen, for the mass of the Muslims in Iraq knew their honesty and sincerity. We reckon them as such and God is their reckoner.
[xxix] Abu Talut: his kunya before the tamkin was 'Abu Adel al-Juburi': he was amir for the 'south Mosul area' (Wilayat Ninawa), and after 'Abu Laith al-Hamdouni'- the first wali of 'Ninawa' after the conquest of 'Mosul'- was killed on Wednesday 26 Muharram 1436 AH (19 November 2014 CE) in the 'al-Sahaji' area on the 'Mosul-Tel Zalat' road in an air raid of the Crusader 'international coalition', 'Abu Talut' was appointed wali over 'Ninawa', and after 'Rabi'a' and its environs fell and the apostates reached the city of 'Sinjar', the order came to divide 'Ninawa' into three wilayas and they are: 'Wilayat al-Jazeera' in west 'Mosul,' and 'Wilayat Dijla'- south Mosul area (previously)- over which 'Abu Talut' was appointed wali, and Wilayat Ninawa over which 'al-Hajj Shakir' was appointed wali.
[xxx] Abu Anas Diyala: he was a prisoner in the 'Badush' prison and he was freed along with other prisoners after the conquest of the city of 'Mosul'. He worked in the 'security office of the al-Ba'aj area'.
[xxxi] i.e. 'al-Ba'aj area'.
[xxxii] On account of the frequency of her being sold and of carnal relations with her. And a day or two after she said that, she was found to have committed suicide in one of the rooms of one of the bases of the soldiers, after she hanged herself with a rope she tied on a fan on the ceiling of the room.
[xxxiii] Faris al-Mosuli: the general military official for the Diwans of 'Wilayat Ninawa'. He appeared in the release 'The Promise of God' issued by the 'media office for Wilayat Ninawa' Safr 1438 AH (November 2016 CE) in minute 20:01-20:16.
[xxxiv] See his life in 'Testimony of a Repenting Amni' (part 1) by the author p. 2.
[xxxv] Abu Mousa al-Obeidi (Abu Mousa al-Askari): he was a military official before the conquest of 'Mosul' then a month after its conquest 'Abu Mousa' was appointed a general military official for the 'al-Ba'aj area'. He was killed in the battles of 'Sinjar mountain' in Dhu al-Hijja 1435 AH (October 2014 CE).
[xxxvi] Abu Maryam al-Juburi and not al-Askari. He was originally from the village of 'Umm Hajera' (Tel Abta' area), and he was the amir of the 'al-Ba'aj area'. Then he was appointed in the 'Archaeology sector' (Diwan al-Rikaz).
[xxxvii] Abu Bilal al-Hadidi: of the veteran brothers. He was previously amir for 'Tel Abta' affiliated with 'al-Ba'aj'. Then he was appointed a deputy for the amir of the 'al-Ba'aj area' until he was killed in 'Sinjar mountain' on Thursday 8 Dhu al-Hijja 1435 AH (2 October 2014 CE).
[xxxviii] Abu Farhan al-Shari'i: he worked in the 'Office of Public Relations and Tribes' and he was appointed general Shari'i official for the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade'.
[xxxix] Jazeerat al-Khalidiya: a group of gardens and small agricultural villages around 23km from the city of 'Ramadi' and it lies on the international route connecting Iraq with al-Sham, and it is administratively affiliated with the locality of 'al-Khalidiya' west of 'Ramadi'.
[xl] Then 'al-Jazeera' fell entirely into the hands of the apostate 'Hashd Sha'abi' on Saturday 24 Dhu al-Q'ida 1437 AH (27 August 2016 CE).
[xli] Kafalat: plural of kafala, and meaning the sum of money that is given monthly to every mujahid in the 'Dawla' as a means of support for him to pay for his need.
[xlii] Basatat: plural of basata, and it is a place in which the seller places his goods on a bed or carpet or the like.
[xliii] Abbas: amir of a security unit in 'Mosul'. He is now a prisoner.
[xliv] Abu Ayyub al-Mosuli: he was amir of a brigade in the 'al-Furqan Division' operating in 'Wilayat Ninawa'. He was wounded during the battle of 'Mosul' so the 'office of the injured and wounded' transferred him to al-Sham and he remained in it until he recovered, and at the time 'Mosul' had fallen entirely. Then he returned to 'Mosul' as amir over the amnis of 'Wilayat Ninawa' in the name 'Isma'il'. And after the killing of the wali of 'Mosul', he was appointed wali over 'Wilayat Ninawa' until he was taken prisoner.
[xlv] The Solagh market: a market for selling vegetables in general. It is located east of 'Sinjar' on the road connecting with 'Mosul'.
[xlvi] Abu Ahmad al-Mousawi: of the people of 'al-Ba'aj': he was a trainer in one of the camps of al-Sham. One of his legs and one of his hands were mutilated when an IED blew up on him by mistake when it was being planted. He was known before the conquest of 'Mosul' by the kunya 'Abu Ahmad al-Iraqi' and changed his kunya after the conquest to 'Abu Ahmad al-Mousawi'.
[xlvii] That came in text in a statement for distribution issued by the 'Diwan al-Qada' and 'Islamic police' in 'Mosul' on date Friday 20 Muharram 1438 AH (21 October 2016 CE) and directed to the citizens of the 'Dawla' at the time and in it: tenth: it is forbidden for all to depart the borders of the 'wilaya' for refuge. Exempted from that are critical cases like going out for treatment and the like.'
[xlviii] Abu Sumayya al-Juburi (Abu Summaya al-Idari): deputy of 'Deyaa' al-Mosuli' (Deyaa' al-Idari): a senior administrative official in 'Wilayat Ninawa'.
[xlix] The visual release: 'A Year Since the Conquest' of the media office for Wilayat Ninawa: Thursday 23 Sha'aban 1436 AH (11 June 2015 CE).
[l] Visual release: 'Security and Safety in the Islamic State' of the media office for Wilayat Nnawa: Jumada al-Awla 1437 AH (2016 CE).
[li] Abu Muthanna al-Shammary: the general military official for 'al-Ba'aj area', then he became a senior military official in the 'Dabiq Brigade' affiliated with 'Wilayat Ninawa' operating in reinforcements outside the 'wilaya', which later became affiliated with a brigade in the 'Abd al-Raman al-Beilawi division' operating in 'Baiji' (Wilayat Salah al-Din).
[lii] See: 'al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya' by Ibn Kathir (printing: hajer) (4/207-208).
[liii] His address in the notice was applicable to owners of trucks and cars- in their different types- but he specified them in particular in the notice because the greatest proportion of those crossing this route located in the 'Sinjar' locality and connecting Iraq and al-Sham were truck owners.
[liv] Abu Daham al-Asmar: the general military official for the 'al-Ba'aj area'.
[lv] Abu Mousa al-Obeidi: the general military official for the 'al-Ba'aj area' after 'Abu Daham al-Asmar'.
[lvi] He was a military official. Then he became a member of the 'office of public relations and the tribes' in the al-Ba'aj area'.
[lvii] Abu Askar al-Shammary: the amir of the village of 'Bara'- it is a strategic village affiliated with the town of 'Sanuni' and is located inside 'Sinjar mountain'.
[lviii] Al-Mulla Ghareeb al-Turkmani: amir of the 'al-Ba'aj area'.
[lix] Abu Eisa al-Azeri: the general military official for the 'al-Ba'aj area'.
[lx] Abu Bilal al-Harbi: deputy general military official of the 'al-Ba'aj area'.
[lxi] Abu A'isha al-Juburi: the cousin of 'Abu Maryam al-Juburi'- amir of the 'al-Ba'aj area' (at the time), and his personal driver.
[lxii] Al-Ja'ala: bribe (Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Mandhur 11/111).
[lxiii] Abu Shu'aib al-Khatouni: of the people of 'al-Ba'aj', and he was an air for the 'al-Ba'aj area', then wali over some non-besieged areas of 'Wilayat al-Jazeera', like 'al-Ba'aj' and 'Tel Abta'. As or the besieged areas like 'Telafar' and 'al-Muhalabiya' their wal was 'Abd al-Aal al-Turkmani'. Then he was appointed an amir over the amnis in the imaginary wilayas of the 'Dawla': that is, amir of the security operations outside the lands of the 'Dawla'.
[lxiv] Qutaiba: amir of the 'A'isha hospital' in 'Albukamal'.
[lxv] Abu Hamza al-Kurdi: the general administrative official for the 'Diwan al-Jund'.
[lxvi] Abu Yahya al-Bajari: previously amir of the 'al-Ba'aj' area.
[lxvii] Abu Qasim al-Juburi (Abu Qasim al-Askari): amir of 'Battalion 97' in the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' (Ayn Jalut Division).
[lxviii] Abu Ayah al-Hamadi (Abu Ayah al-Askari): he was an amir for a military battalion in the 'Sinjar mountain', and when got his family out of 'Mosul', he was at the time an amir for explosive rigging in 'Battalion 97' in the 'Ibn Taymiyya Brigade' (Ayn Jalut Division).
[lxix] Ya'arab al-Khatouni: amir of the 'al-Furqan Division' operating in 'Wilayat Ninawa'.
[lxx] Al-Ramda': intensity of the heat (Lisan al-Arab by Ibn Mandhur 7/160).
[lxxi] Before the tamkin in 1435 AH (2014 CE).
[lxxii] He and his family provided for their needs in provisions before the tamkin.
[lxxiii] Abu Anas al-Saba': he was appointed an amir for the 'Islamic police' in the 'al-Ba'aj area', then an amir for the 'security office (al-Ba'aj area)' after 'Abu Ghafran al-Obeidi'. Then he worked in 'Hisba investigations'.
[lxxiv] Al-Ahqaf 15.
[lxxv] He wrote it on the night of Friday 8 Rajab 1440 AH (15 March 2019 CE).
[lxxvi] He wrote it in the afternoon of Wednesday 11 Shawwal 1438 AH (5 July 2017 CE).
[lxxvii] See: 'Discussion with his eminence the mujahid Sheikh Abu Eisa al-Masri (may God protect him)' by Mu'assasat al-Turath al-'Ilmi (p. 62).