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New ISIS Video With John Cantlie in Mosul, Iraq

By Jeralyn, Section War In Iraq
Posted on Sat Jan 03, 2015 at 04:45:15 PM EST
Tags: John Cantlie, ISIS, Syria, Iraq (all tags)
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Just before New Years, I wondered what happened to John Cantlie.

We have the answer. He's still alive. Here is his latest video giving a tour of Mosul, Iraq, which he says is the "absolute heartland" of the Caliphate and home to 2 million people." He says he sees millions of people going about their daily business after years of oppression.

Towards the end, he is driving an ISIS police motorcycle through the streets of Mosul, with a big grin and an ISIS member sitting behind him: [More...]

Cantlie is clearly having fun. (He deserves some after all he's been through.)

The video ends with him standing near a large outdoor screen where his report from Kobane, Syria is playing. He says there he was in Kobane, and here he is in Mosul.

It just goes to show how much territory the Islamic State is controlling.

Then he announces it's time to start patrolling, turns on the bike's police siren, and takes off.

Some other points he makes: A coalition plane flies overhead and he says,

“Over here, do something, are you trying to rescue me again … useless… absolutely useless.”
He says the Mosul police could only run at the first sight of trouble. Islamic State has restored order. He says the Guardian article about life in Mosul is false, and there is plenty of electricity. Also, he says:
"Sunni Muslims can now walk the streets of Mosul without fear of Shia oppression."

There is no hint of the "serious" John Cantlie from other videos. Either his death sentence has been lifted, or he's just determined to make the most of every moment he's allowed to be outside of an ISIS jail cell. I suspect he's been pardoned, and in the future, we will continue to see him in his new role as ISIS' official video-journalist.

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    New ISIS Video With John Cantlie in Mosul, Iraq | 4 comments (4 topical)
    It is just to difficult for a 'regular' US person (none / 0) (#1)
    by ZtoA on Sat Jan 03, 2015 at 10:58:20 PM EST
    to clearly see and therefore understand, even a tiny bit,  about IS. I caught a snippet on NPR today about how local people did not 'like' IS because they "could not rule". But there are so many 'sources' on this (and other) issues. To a person who actually wants to know some truths, it is extremely confusing. But your links and stated sources are pretty much never covered in US 'news' - so thank you for that. Glad Cantlie (is that his actual name?? what a family name!) is alive at least.

    So much has been written about ISIS/ISIL, (none / 0) (#2)
    by NYShooter on Sun Jan 04, 2015 at 06:55:02 AM EST
    and, due to their very own nature, it's hard to know what their real agenda is. In other words, how much of what they've written is the truth, and, how much is just plain pretext for another, hidden, agenda?

    Do they truly believe they've established a Caliphate? Are they, honestly, true "believers" or, like much of the U.S's "fundamentalist church industry, religion is merely the conduit, and/or, cash cow to pile up money, and, power?

    Since we're talking about the Middle East, where, "My enemy's enemy is my friend," is the operational system at work, who really is their benefactor, and, who stands to win the most should they become a real, functional, State?

    One thing seems pretty obvious, to me, anyway, and, that is the Middle East we've known for so many decades is history now. So many new forces at work, so many new alliances to be formed, and, broken. And, the big issue happening right now, and, not getting anywhere near the attention it deserves, is the collapse of oil prices.

    While it's true that our Media gives this critical, and, highly volatile subject its usual, superficial  once over, "Yay, I can fill up my tank for 30 bucks!" the geo-political ramifications are much, much more serious than cheaper gas prices.

    If anyone thinks that "shoving it" to Vladimir Putin is some kind of good "Karma," or self-satisfying, "Schadenfreude," they need to adjust their meds I think. While it's true that there is some poetic justice in this Bully getting his primary money stream curtailed. However, the idea of a KGB trained dictator, a dictator who just happens to have 30,000+ nuclear warheads piled up (in some, arguably, less-than-completely secure facilities) is a seriously dangerous powder keg of a problem forming.

    The number of ways that collapsing oil prices increases the potential for some really bad things to happen is way too long to go into here. I can think of ten, or, more, right off the bat, and, all are very, very de-stabilizing.

    So, this is my opening thoughts for what we're looking at as we enter the year, 2015. As the 60's novel, so prophetically, stated, "Been down so long it's beginning to look like up to me," let's hope I'm 100% wrong in my sense of foreboding.  Who knows, maybe having all three branches of our government in the hands of some Ted Cruz wannabees won't be so bad, after all.

    Right? I could be wrong.....right?

    Right?

    by george, i think you've got it! (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by cpinva on Sun Jan 04, 2015 at 09:34:48 AM EST
    "Do they truly believe they've established a Caliphate? Are they, honestly, true "believers" or, like much of the U.S's "fundamentalist church industry, religion is merely the conduit, and/or, cash cow to pile up money, and, power?"

    it's always about money and power, always. it has been since the first two humans threw rocks at each other, fighting over the fig hanging low on the branch. you can cover it with a shiny religious patina, but scrape that off, and money & power rear their ugly heads.

    Parent

    The religion of Islam (none / 0) (#4)
    by Slado on Sun Jan 04, 2015 at 04:03:06 PM EST
    was established on the need to aquire power by spreading the message so how could ISIS not be the same since they want to take the world back to what they see where the glory days of  Islam?  

    ISIS wishes to establish a state like the ones the profit established during his rule.    Those states and the early Islamic religion ruled and expanded by force and a join us or join the afterlife choice for those they came across.

    Always hard to know how much of a certain group is a true believer in the message, enjoys the perks of being on top or even worse just enjoys the activities required to spread the message.   In this case murder, rape and brutality.  

    As you say this is not a historical pattern that Islam can take credit for but ISIS is specifically telling us what they want and how they plan to get there.   All we have to do is read the early history of Islam for a roadmap of their plans and listen to ISIS as they tell us exactly what they think of those who aren't on board.
     

    Parent

    New ISIS Video With John Cantlie in Mosul, Iraq | 4 comments (4 topical)