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On Wednesday, ISIS released a brand new audio recording from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi — the first we’ve heard from the reclusive leader in almost a year.
The timing of the message is no accident. Coming just as US-backed Iraqi counterterrorism forces have finally breached the eastern outskirts of the city of Mosul, the Sunni terrorist group’s last remaining stronghold in Iraq, the message is both a sign of how beleaguered the group is feeling right now, as well as a clear message that they will not go quietly.
In the 30-minute audio recording, titled “This is what God and His Messenger promised us,” Baghdadi calls on ISIS fighters to remain steadfast, reassuring them that stronger enemies don’t equal better enemies and telling them not to flee the battlefield.
Speaking in Arabic, he proclaims: “To all the people of Nineveh, especially the fighters, beware of any weakness in facing your enemy.” (Nineveh is the province in northern Iraq where Mosul is located.) “Do not retreat ... Holding your ground with honor is a thousand times easier than retreating in shame,” he says.
Read more @: ISIS leader Baghdadi just issued his first statement in almost a year
He clearly knows that his movement is going loose the amount of political control he currently has.