BAGHDAD, IRAQ – Twentieth-century war communication just won’t cut it in the twenty-first century.
Nowadays, evil overlords have to be hip if they want the world to know about their dastardly deeds.
And ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is no exception. These twenty-first century jihadists are also savvy social media communicators that you can follow on your smart phone.
Not anymore. Twitter has taken down at least six accounts associated with ISIS, a move that made the folks at Wikileaks cry foul.
But the fear of a censorship backlash didn’t stop Google Play from killing the ISIS app that provided followers with the latest news, photos, and videos of ISIS massacres on the march to Baghdad.
Now, it seems someone is spilling ISIS’s garbanzo beans online. And that someone goes by the handle @wikibaghdady, who apparently is posting top-secret information about ISIS, including battle plans and local alliances.
Iran has set up a webpage where volunteers can sign up to go to Iraq to protect Shia holy sites from ISIS and other Sunnis. So far, about 5,000 have signed up.
Meantime, President Obama is back in Washington, talking with congressional leaders about u-s involvement in Iraq.
The idea of holding hands with Iran while beating off Sunni insurgents is not a happy choice for the president or Congress.
But leaders are supposed to lead, and now is as good a time as any.
