What Technology is ISIS Using to Take Over Iraq?

In recent weeks, ISIS (The Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham) has catapulted onto the international stage following their blitzkrieg of Northern Iraq. The organization grew out of its predecessor, Al-Queda in Iraq, and operates with the goal of turning Northern Iraq and portions of Syria into a Sunni state. They have quickly gained a reputation for their brutality and their extreme fundamentalist beliefs. Their views are so radical that in February of this year Al-Qaeda cut ties with the group.

Despite their relatively small military force and their outdated weapons technology, ISIS has quickly become a substantial presence in Syria and Iraq. Though much of the credit for their growing influence in the region should go to the weakness and indifference of the Iraqi military, ISIS has used the tools available to them to the best of their ability. Their use of fast, mobile weapons, their willingness to appropriate captured equipment for their own uses, their savvy use of propaganda, and their extreme radicalism have all helped their small numbers make a big impact. Let’s take a closer look at how ISIS is using the tools at their disposal. Let’s find out What Technology is ISIS Using to Take Over Iraq?

The more racist among America's political cartoonists have often portrayed Islamic extremists as backwards cave dwellers. This couldn't be further from the truth. ISIS has built a sophisticated Internet propaganda machine to drive recruitment and build a terror brand across Iraq, the Middle East, and the world. ISIS is active on Twitter, Facebook, and across other social media platforms.

ISIS members are sharing photos, photoshopped graphics, and even memes, but that isn't the surprising part. What is different about ISIS is that they have taken control of their social media presence in a way that looks more like an American corporation than a terror group. The Guardian's Middle East correspondent, Martin Chulov has said, "The fear about ISIS storming the capital is borne out of their social media campaign, not reality. They don't have the power to do that." As the web savvy among us well know, perception matters far more than actual power in the Internet age. ISIS has put as much focus on perception as they have on results. An app called The Dawn of Glad Tidings which allows ISIS to distribute updates, photoshopped images overlaid with phrases like "Badghdad, we are coming," and even a feature length film entitled Clanging of Swords IV have all contributed to ISIS's sophisticated propaganda apparatus, and helped create an image if ISIS that is far more powerful than the real-life organization actually is.

Military Times and a number of other sources estimate that roughly a thousand ISIS troops defeated a 30,000 man Iraqi army force in Mosul. The Iraqi forces were armed with high-powered U.S. supplied weaponry. ISIS had pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns. How did this David versus Goliath situation come to pass? If David wants to fight and Goliath doesn't, it's a pretty easy win for David. The ISIS propaganda machine is only so effective because of existing political tensions in the region. The Sunni Arabs in Northern Iraq feel left out of the Shiite controlled Iraqi government. As one former high-ranking US officer put it, "It appears that three and a half years of highly sectarian and increasingly authoritarian actions undid the important reconciliation component of the strategy during the Surge and beyond, leaving Sunni Arabs once again feeling marginalized by the Shia-led government in Baghdad." Disenchanted Sunni forces have deserted in high numbers and those who haven't don't seem to have put up much of a fight against ISIS. This has allowed for stunning victory for ISIS's vastly outnumbered forces.

How does technology play into this? We've already discussed how the ISIS propaganda machine makes the group seem more intimidating than they actually are. ISIS also uses brand awareness to drive recruitment and loyalty among their members. This may sound ridiculous, but it is working. NBC recently ran a piece discussing this very issue, appropriately titled, "Will ISIS Eclipse Al Qaeda as No. 1 Global Terrorism Brand?" ISIS has established a brand in much the way that an online business might: by niche marketing. If Al-Qaeda is too mainstream for you, you can join ISIS and really go after the infidels. Through their unrelenting extremism, ISIS has been able to stimulate fast growth with dedicated personnel. Though their numbers are technically relatively small, their core members are incredibly dedicated to ISIS's cause.

There is technological sophistication behind ISIS's cash flow. Though the organization made headlines for robbing a bank in Mosul of hundreds of millions of dollars, they were doing just fine before that. It is a common misconception that terror is funded solely by donations of rich extremists. ISIS operates more like a giant organized crime syndicate and has various sources of income. Just like the mob or a gang, ISIS operatives must kick up 20% of their take from kidnapping, extortion, and other unsavory activities. The organization has also seized oil fields; they build their revenue by producing crude oil and selling electricity to Syria. They even extract and sell artifacts from areas they attack.

Just like with their social media efforts, ISIS has a sophisticated way of keeping track of their finances. They recently released a report quite similar to a financial report a corporation might release. In the report, ISIS goes over their various revenue streams, how they target their terror acts, and what sort of growth they expect going forward. They even outline their mission statement: to create a Sunni state covering portions of Iraq and Syria. Now let's take a look at how they spend that cash.

As ISIS has made gains throughout Iraq, they have taken control of many U.S. supplied weapons from the Iraqi military. When they began their assaults on Northern Iraq, however, their primary weapons were pick-up truck mounted machine guns. The DShk machine gun, nicknamed "Dushka" (which, ironically, means "sweetie" or "dear") has been a favorite in the region for decades. The bullets are 12.7 x 108mm and fire at a rate of 60 rounds per minute. The weapon is effective to 2,000 meters and has a maximum range of 2,500 meters.

Over 70 countries have employed the Dushka in combat, and the list of these countries reads like a review of the most violent war zones of the last century. The first version of the Dushka, the DShk 1938 was the preferred weapon of the Soviets during the Second World War. The weapon was an answer to the U.S. manufactured M2 Browning. The updated NSV model is used in combat operations today. This weapon has been used by the IRA against British troops, by Iraqi troops during the Iraqi War, and by Syrian rebels during their ongoing civil war.

Sunday June 22nd marked the first reports that ISIS troops were using American-made Humvees in battle. As ISIS continues their expansion, they will likely continue to take control of equipment abandoned by defeated, retreating, and deserting Iraqi forces. Over the weekend, pictures of ISIS officers riding in American Humvees surfaced. Reports indicate that the Humvees are headed to Syria to assist ISIS's interests in the civil war.

The Humvee as we know it today has existed since 1984. Before that, the US army largely relied on armored Jeeps. Humvees weigh between 5 and 6,000 pounds depending on the level of armament, feature a 6.2 liter V8 diesel turbo engine, and can travel at a maximum speed of between 55 and 70 mph depending on how encumbered they are. The Humvee is a versatile vehicle. A variety of weapons can be mounted on the Humvee, including missiles and automatic weapons. The Humvee has also been used as a medical and communications vehicle.

Historically, the Humvee has performed well in combat operations in open areas. Despite lacking protection against serious weapons threats, Humvee losses were relatively low during the Gulf War. The Humvee's record in urban battlegrounds is far poorer; after the conflict in Somalia, U.S. brass began to re-evaluate the Humvee. Pressure to modify the vehicle heightened in 2004, as armor was added to many Humvees to mitigate the impact of IEDs during the Iraq War. The military is still unhappy with the Humvee despite these modifications. Armor kits can add up to 1,000 pounds to the vehicle. These kits don't fix the problem of the vulnerability of gunners on top of the vehicle. Also, the size of the Humvee has proven problematic, leading to limited deployment in Afganistan, where roads are narrow. The current plan is to eventually replace Humvees with the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), currently under development.

Weapons can often take a strange path as they make their way to their ultimate destination. An influx of Croatian weapons has made their way into ISIS hands due to the actions of several countries and organizations. Croatia sold weapons to Saudi Arabia who in turn armed Syrian rebels. ISIS is also fighting the Syrian state. Thus ISIS troops in Iraq now have Croatian weapons. Planes have also been known to make the same route from Croatia to Iraq by way of Turkey. For further details on the flow of arms from Croatia to the Middle East, you can read a detailed take on the situation courtesy of the New York Times here.

The RG-6 is one such weapon that has made its way into Iraq by way of Croatia. Like many of the weapons that have fallen into ISIS hands, the RG-6 is originally a Russian design. The grenade launcher first saw combat during small scale urban conflicts such as the Chechan Wars. The RG-6 holds six rounds which can be fired at two rounds a second. It has a firing range of 400 meters.

Varying reports are coming out of Iraq regarding which types of rocket launchers are on the ground. Some sources report ISIS has taken control of Katyusha rocket launchers; other reports claim sighting M79 Osa and RPG-22 launchers on the ground. It is totally possible that these three varieties of rocket launcher, as well as others, are being used by ISIS forces.

Katyusha rocket launchers are truck mounted launchers that propel multiple rockets towards a target at once. The name Katyusha is a nickname, taken from a song about a woman whose husband is away at war; the song was popular during World War II, when the Katyusha first saw action. The name Katyusha refers broadly to a generation of truck-mounted multiple rocket launchers. Each truck carries between 14 and 48 launchers carrying missiles accurate up to 4,000 yards. Even after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia continued to develop MRL (multiple rocket launchers). Variants on the Katyusha rocket launcher, particularly the BM-21, continue to see action in Russian conflicts, and have recently been spotted in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, and Rwanda.

ISIS claims using 6,000 IEDs in 2013. By their very definition IEDs (improvised explosive device) are made of inconsistent materials. According to the Department of Homeland Security, here are some of the most well-known IEDs components in recent history:

- Semtex, C-4 (IRA, Various)
- Urea nitrate – (WTC, 1993)
- Ammonium nitrate and fuel oil (Oklahoma City Bombing, 1995)
- Smokeless Powder (Olympic Park, 1996)
- Ethylene glycol dinitrate ("Millenium Bomber," 1999)
- Triaceton Triperoxide (London, 2005)

IEDs most commonly found in Iraq are built inside artillery and mortar shells with a combination of homemade explosives. Unexploded landmines are also often modified to make IEDs. U.S. troops in Afghanistan often came in contact with "pressure cooker bombs." These IEDs often involved an actual kitchen pressure cooker packed with ammonium nitrate, gun powder, and metal fillings. Similar, if less sophisticated, pressure cooker bombs were used in the Boston Marathon bombing.

It is difficult to tell exactly what other military equipment has fallen into ISIS hands. Earlier, we took a look at the social media apparatus around ISIS. It turns out that misinformation has also been a key part of their strategy. Though ISIS has claimed to capture a number of tanks and helicopters, it appears that these claims may actually be exaggerated. According to the the Pentagon, "[What] we're seeing on social media and other places are complete fabrications."

Though we don't yet have a solid source, several outlets including Fox News have claimed that Stinger Missiles have likely fallen into ISIS hands. Even if ISIS hasn't captured Stinger Missiles from the Iraqi military, it is possible that they have obtained FIM-92s from Syrian insurgent forces, who in turn received them from Turkey. One Stinger missile costs $38,000. The 22 pound projectile is accurate up to three miles and can achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.2. Stinger Missiles are part of large classification of missile called a MANPAD (man-portable air-defense systems). It is significant if a MANPAD falls into the hands of ISIS forces because it complicates the use of airstrikes, as it puts those executing the strikes in greater danger.

Finally, here is an example of the American media ascribing ISIS more tools than they actually have at their disposal. On June 19th, The Telegraph and several other sources reported that ISIS had taken over a chemical weapons compound formerly operated by Saddam Hussein. In the compound, there are bunkers filled with concrete stores of sarin and mustard gas. Right wing blogs (the usual suspects: Independent Journal Review, Twitchy, etc.) were quick to sound the alarm that Saddam's WMDs had fallen into terrorist hands. Though ISIS provides plenty to worry about, this isn't a situation that should stoke your fears. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, "We do not believe that the complex contains CW materials of military value and it would be very difficult, if not impossible to safely move the materials."

That is not to say that sarin and mustard gas aren't harmful. At the height of his power, Saddam's used these gases in acts of chemical warfare that amounted to genocide. In the Halabja Chemical Attack in 1988, Hussein's regime killed between 3,200 and 5,000 Kurds by deploying massive amounts of mustard and sarin gas. According to eye witness accounts, approximately eight planes drops fourteen bombs, each creating columns of smoke up to 150 feet high. Ten years afterward, hundreds of Kurds were still dealing with health consequences stemming from the attack. In the aftermath of the attacks it was revealed that a number of firms in western nations including American companies Alcolac International and Phillips (which still exist in reorganized forms today, God Bless America) sold chemical precursors to Iraq that enabled them to create these gases. This attack is considered to be separate from the larger Al-Anfal Campaign which resulted in the death of between 50,000 and 180,000 Kurdish civilian deaths, many of which were also due to chemical warfare.