The Financial Times reported today that IS has executed 100 of it's own fighters who tried to flee their headquarters. Interestingly, those killed were foreigners who had become disillusioned. I can say hooray for that but for them it has been too little too late! I wonder too if maybe the Europeans have a smidgen of conscience that the hard liners don't.
The nationalities of those executed included British, French, Germans and Belgians. It would seem they wanted to fight groups other than those to which they were assigned. The downside is their desire to fight in the first place.
However, when rebellion begins within ranks, chaos could follow and with a little bit of luck it could be the beginning of the end of ISIS. Once word gets out that you either do as you're told or die, it puts you on an even footing with those you're there to fight. Capitulate or die. While hard core IS members look at death in their own way, most Europeans entered the fight for the fight perhaps more than the cause. That would be their downfall. But it could also lead to the downfall of IS because they can't afford to lose too many within their own ranks if they can't replenish them.
If the likelihood of death by the hands of those with whom you've joined becomes widely known I would hope their ability to recruit would be greatly diminished. That IS would begin to disintegrate from within.
Now if only we would help the movement along by doing what we promised as far as properly arming the Kurds so they can mount more robust counter attacks real progress may follow. With Iraqis once again deserting due to lack of equipment poses a dilemma. Of course they would still have their arms if they hadn't deserted in the first place.
Maybe it's time we quit playing war and actually fight it and end it. Once and for all. Properly.
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