Disaffection pays dividends
March 10, 2016 3:28 AM   Subscribe

A USB stick containing the registration details of 22,000 ISIS members from 51 countries has been obtained by Stuart Ramsay, Chief Correspondant for Sky News. The source is Abu Hamed, a disaffected former Syrian Free Army convert to ISIS and was apparently the USB was stolen from the head of Islamic State's internal security police.

The 23 questions in full:

1. Name
2. Fighter name
3. Mother’s maiden name
4. Blood type
5. DOB and nationality
6. Marriage status
7. Address and place of residence
8. Level of education
9. Level of Sharia understanding
10. Previous job
11. Countries travelled through
12. Area entered from
13. Who recommended
14. Date of entry
15. Have they fought before
16. What role will they take
17. Any special skills
18. Current place of work
19. Security deposit
20: Level of obedience
21: Contact numbers
22: Date and place of death
23: Notes
posted by numberstation (66 comments total) 12 users marked this as a favorite
 
Security deposit?
posted by Paul Slade at 3:32 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


Huh, never occurred to me that if you want to join ISIS they have an application form. Do you need a CV and cover letter too?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 3:44 AM on March 10, 2016 [4 favorites]


I'm confused about question 22. Don't worry about that! We'll fill it out. Do you like vests?
posted by adept256 at 3:45 AM on March 10, 2016 [26 favorites]


Interesting that the fellow gives it to a journalist rather than to a spook. Question now becomes, who gets to see it?

I like that you get to choose your fighter name. Skip, maybe. Or Chip.
posted by IndigoJones at 3:47 AM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


This could a great game of Top Trumps.
posted by cromagnon at 3:49 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


Hammertouch Rockripper.

some people have never filled out an ad&d character sheet
posted by adept256 at 3:52 AM on March 10, 2016 [13 favorites]


24: Religion
posted by leotrotsky at 3:53 AM on March 10, 2016 [8 favorites]


Question 19: Security Deposit?
They need money up front before they will allow you to be crazy.
posted by Flood at 3:53 AM on March 10, 2016


Not really a deposit, right? I doubt they give it back if you leave the group.
posted by Area Man at 4:05 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


Name: Napoleon Dynamite
Fighter name: Liger Al-Idahoani
Any special skills: nunchuk skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills
posted by rh at 4:24 AM on March 10, 2016 [19 favorites]


20: like a one, one point five. I'm a loner, Dottie. A rebel.
posted by penduluum at 4:25 AM on March 10, 2016 [7 favorites]


3. Mother’s maiden name

This seems a very odd question for an Islamic organisation to ask. To the best of my recollection, the concept of name change on marriage is entirely alien to Islam. I mean, it seems unlikely to indicate that it's fake, but it just made me do a double-take.
posted by howfar at 4:27 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


This kind of makes me wonder about ISIS IT policy in general. Do they get issued a laptop? Can they get a Macbook, if so, or must they use the Lenovo? How often must they change their passwords?
posted by thelonius at 4:28 AM on March 10, 2016 [9 favorites]


Notice that nobody had to torture anyone in order to get this information.
posted by Faint of Butt at 4:40 AM on March 10, 2016 [38 favorites]


Shush. Don't give Lenovo excuses.

"It's not malware enabling man-in-the-middle attacks in the name of profit, it's an ANTI-TERRORISM DEVICE."
posted by delfin at 4:43 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


"Hey guys, it's time for scrum! Now, I think we all want to avoid yesterday's embarrassing incident with the stand-up running way over time, so let's just remember that the detonators are set for exactly 15 minutes."
posted by Behemoth at 4:44 AM on March 10, 2016 [15 favorites]


Torture is boring. If the spooks really want the details, they can hack your phone to see that pic your loved one sent you when you were lonely. You know the one. It was just for you.
posted by adept256 at 4:47 AM on March 10, 2016


It was just for me, but really, I can't blame anyone for wanting to see more pictures of cats.
posted by oddman at 4:48 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


3. Mother’s maiden name

This seems a very odd question for an Islamic organisation to ask. To the best of my recollection, the concept of name change on marriage is entirely alien to Islam. I mean, it seems unlikely to indicate that it's fake, but it just made me do a double-take.


Financial fraud reasons? Don't a lot of new financing/credit card type of things ask for a mother's maiden name as security? I'm just guessing here.
posted by NoMich at 4:50 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


al Qaeda had similar applications, and expense reports, vacation days, and even interoffice memos complaining about people not filing paperwork in a timely fashion.

Modern jihad seems to require an inordinate amount of middle management.

Information is a powerful method of control; it's why the Romans loved a census 2000 years ago, and sovereign citizen types today get upset about it. You can't build an empire without a strong bureaucracy obsessed with paperwork.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:52 AM on March 10, 2016 [18 favorites]


leotrotsky: 24: religion

Something tells me the answer to that one comes pre-filled.
posted by cstross at 5:03 AM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


I am incredibly wary of this, to be honest. I work for an ngo that represents people accused of crimes in (among other places) Afghanistan, and we have a lot of clients who were arrested for membership in the Taliban or similar groups because their names appeared on a list somewhere that somebody or other gave to the government or to the American security forces. Frequently, there's no other evidence that these guys are members, and sometimes the motive for turning over their names is personal revenge. And yet they're arrested, often tortured, detained for years, often even detained indefinitely after being found not guilty because nobody wants to take the risk that they were maybe guilty after all.

I'd like to think that the information in this list would be verified in some way before it's acted upon. But I wouldn't bet on it.
posted by showbiz_liz at 5:09 AM on March 10, 2016 [35 favorites]


24: Religion

I don't think you are supposed to ask that on employment applications
posted by TedW at 5:09 AM on March 10, 2016 [18 favorites]


Awesome, this will keep us in drone assassination targets for years!
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 5:41 AM on March 10, 2016


I wonder how frequently we see something mundane in the Previous occupation section, like: dental hygenist or tax accountant. Really what I am curious about is what careers have a high unexpected affinity for conversion into militant.

Also, I can see the tax guy saying, I'll sign for the off season - but I've got to be done before tax season so my workload doesn't become murder.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:42 AM on March 10, 2016


"Telemarketer" gets you right in.

"Parking Authority" gets you fast-tracked into their Future Managers program.

"Scientologist" gets you vetoed for being overqualified.
posted by delfin at 5:53 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


If this is true and the list is legit, I guess this is what happens when wages are cut in half because the oil has gone up in smoke.
posted by lmfsilva at 6:00 AM on March 10, 2016


Well, if you're going to ask what role I shall take, maybe I should enquire about your level of obedience?
posted by sapagan at 6:02 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


24: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
posted by rh at 6:03 AM on March 10, 2016 [12 favorites]


Really what I am curious about is what careers have a high unexpected affinity for conversion into militant.

Engineering student seemed to be common for a while.

This might be one of the very few employment situation where disaffected millennials are desired and sought out. The benefits might not be great, but who else is hiring?
posted by Dip Flash at 6:04 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


9. Level of Sharia understanding

Is there a written test?
posted by Area Man at 6:10 AM on March 10, 2016


Does everyone in ISIS now need to repeat their annual IT Security training?
posted by Rob Rockets at 6:29 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


[ISIS Middle Management] So you should ask yourself, with every decision that you make, "Is this good for Allah?"
posted by delfin at 6:33 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


So what became of the laptop this person plugged that stick into ?
posted by k5.user at 6:34 AM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


Security deposit?

It's worth thinking of ISIS as an MLM scam with guns.
posted by mhoye at 6:35 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


It's worth thinking of ISIS as an MLM scam with guns.

I'd take that over "come to our [sex toy|rodan field|candle|jewelry|we-buy-gold|setlla-dot|essential oils] party" any freaking day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
posted by k5.user at 6:55 AM on March 10, 2016


Not really a deposit, right? I doubt they give it back if you leave the group.
So exactly like every other security deposit then
posted by cnelson at 7:06 AM on March 10, 2016 [6 favorites]


Why do they have to sign death guarantees for people who give up info. You would think "they" would think to protect gift givers like these.
posted by Oyéah at 7:11 AM on March 10, 2016


24: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

That's covered in question 22, I think.
posted by dersins at 7:13 AM on March 10, 2016


Frequently, there's no other evidence that these guys are members, and sometimes the motive for turning over their names is personal revenge.

Good point, and also reminds me of stories in some of the Eastern block countries after communism that secret police files would list "informers" that had no apparent connection to reality--because members of the secret police had incentives to report that they had added another asset to the organization.
posted by mark k at 7:30 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


Inventory. Mercenaries. Foreign management.
posted by Oyéah at 7:32 AM on March 10, 2016


Fighter name: none other than the dashing Biscayne Meriwether! of course
posted by Bob Regular at 7:49 AM on March 10, 2016


Is there a written test?

Scantron. Please use a #2 pencil and be sure to fill in the bubbles completely.
posted by entropicamericana at 7:51 AM on March 10, 2016


I like that you get to choose your fighter name. Skip, maybe. Or Chip.

Crystall
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 7:54 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


showbiz_liz Yes its a good point and verification is the key question. However some corrobaration has already been undertaken with individuals who are already known. That is not to say unequivocably that all of the the names listed are correct. There is clearly more to this than meets the eye and there is a definite question mark over when exactly this cache was handed over. I have seen reports dating the material to been correct as of around two years ago - though this is not to say the acquisition did not occur alot more recently.

The article in question is careful not to suggest when this took place - other than renforcing the fact that this is an exclusive to the Chief Correspondant. It is of course possible this information was obtained and handed over many weeks, months or even years ago with an agreement that once the information had been analysed and actioned that Sky News could run the scoop.

Motivations of defectors are never ever totally clear cut - be it financial, purely egotistically driven, defensive (ie coerced) or ideological (or of course a mixture of these). In this case the source appears to be motivated by a mixture of egotistical and ideological impules - he is reported to be disaffected that the actions witnessed were not in line with his beliefs as to what constitutes Islam.
posted by numberstation at 8:10 AM on March 10, 2016


2. Fighter name
posted by echocollate at 8:26 AM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


Someone somewhere is kicking himself for making the password "Caliphate."
posted by gottabefunky at 8:38 AM on March 10, 2016


Modern jihad seems to require an inordinate amount of middle management.

So wait, to defeat them, we could just send in some fake recruits who propose ideas that would make things work better *in theory* but in reality slow things to a near stop?
posted by JoeXIII007 at 8:52 AM on March 10, 2016 [4 favorites]


13. Who recommended

Please someone make a graph of the recommendation network
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 8:59 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


So wait, to defeat them, we could just send in some fake recruits who propose ideas that would make things work better *in theory* but in reality slow things to a near stop?

Time to implement Six Sigma!
posted by Area Man at 9:01 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


So wait, to defeat them, we could just send in some fake recruits who propose ideas that would make things work better *in theory* but in reality slow things to a near stop?

Time to implement Six Sigma!


Lean into Jihad!

Is there an Arabic version of the MMPI?
posted by TedW at 9:11 AM on March 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yep, this would be a great thing to leak with the names and personal info of actual opponents of ISIS in order to get the enemy governments to do your dirty work for you. But if ISIS were smart enough to do his kind of counter-intelligence, I would begin to genuinely worry about their threat... but if it's a real list with the names of actual member, notsomuch.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:33 AM on March 10, 2016


Modern jihad seems to require an inordinate amount of middle management. Information is a powerful method of control; it's why the Romans loved a census 2000 years ago, and sovereign citizen types today get upset about it. You can't build an empire without a strong bureaucracy obsessed with paperwork.

i've read how islamic state learned from latin american drug cartels, now it looks like they're taking over schools... to eventually run them? stationary bandits... stanislaw lem writes eloquently about the invention, power and allure of bureaucracy -- "a kingdom of universal permission" -- in highcastle:
In his memoir of childhood, Stanisław Lem describes the activity that absorbed his attention around the age of twelve. The Polish science fiction writer and polymath invented an elaborate bureaucracy worthy of a pubescent Kafka, complete with passwords and paperwork, requisitions and requests, and above all, documents of authorization. In the center of the bureaucracy’s imaginary hierarchy, “a shape began to emerge from nothingness, a Building, a Castle unbelievably High, with a Center of Mystery never named, not even by the most daring — the place where, after passing through all the gates, halls, and guard stations, you could finally receive full authorization!” The young Lem never tried to produce the blank form granting full authorization hidden in the files of the High Castle, but its inscrutable and ultimately inaccessible power would find many analogs in his mature fiction, from the mysterious, living sea in Solaris to the uninterpretable message from space in His Master’s Voice. But these vacant symbols, which at first seem capable of authorizing anything, invariably end up as the screens upon which characters project the content of their own minds. So it is with the void to which Lem returned again and again, the emptiest and most promising of all — the future.
they say that the attraction to a 'caliphate' or cartel -- esp for young men -- is action and adventure, but i wonder if it's not more of a longing for legitimacy?
posted by kliuless at 9:56 AM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


Hi, I would like to add you my professional network on LinkedISIS.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 10:08 AM on March 10, 2016 [6 favorites]


9. Level of Sharia understanding

"They all lie on that one."
posted by gottabefunky at 11:47 AM on March 10, 2016


If you want to understand how and why terrorist bureaucracy works, do check out Jacob N. Shapiro's The Terrorist's Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations which I found out about via BoingBoing, and via Bruce Schneier linking to Shapiro's Foreign Affairs piece on micromanagement within al Qaeda. Fundamentally: if you want to achieve things, it's helpful to have organizations that can funnel money and information to the right people. Formal organization is in fact so useful that, even though it provides means for governments to infiltrate, surveil, and sabotage terrorism, the terrorists still do a lot of it whenever they can.

It would probably be misleading and dangerous, though hilarious, to say I read it as management self-help. But I am, of necessity and by temperament, interested in how voluntary organizations work, especially super-distributed ones full of ideologically passionate people who are apt to schism when dissatisfied. The poor copyediting bothered me, but I loved the schadenfreude, the thought-provoking insights, the great anecdotes, and the bibliography.
posted by brainwane at 12:15 PM on March 10, 2016 [7 favorites]


What Color Is Your Suicide Vest?
posted by freecellwizard at 1:10 PM on March 10, 2016 [5 favorites]


Missing the "banality of evil" tag.
posted by Nerd of the North at 1:45 PM on March 10, 2016 [3 favorites]


Showbiz Liz is right: this list is probably bullshit, its presentation certainly is .

You would think after Curveball , governments and media would not be so credulous about this stuff.
posted by smoke at 6:17 PM on March 10, 2016 [2 favorites]


So wait, to defeat them, we could just send in some fake recruits who propose ideas that would make things work better *in theory* but in reality slow things to a near stop?

This sounds like a job for Atos!

(These guys are involved in Government projects in the UK, and they'd do a *great* job)
posted by 43rdAnd9th at 6:22 PM on March 10, 2016


This could just be some next-level SWATing.
posted by Flashman at 7:03 PM on March 10, 2016


Please someone make a graph of the recommendation network

Assuming there are typed documents and not scanned images, that would be a really productive few hours with Python...
posted by iffthen at 8:06 PM on March 10, 2016


24. Ask or gift.
posted by storybored at 9:20 PM on March 10, 2016


3. Mother’s maiden name

Aminah bint'Wahb.
posted by theorique at 5:42 AM on March 11, 2016


25. Willing to Travel? Y/N/Once
posted by Freelance Demiurge at 6:21 AM on March 11, 2016




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