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A page from Dabiq
An article in the most recent issue, the ninth, of the Islamic State's (ISIS's) English-language online magazine Dabiq speculates that Pakistani nuclear weapons can be purchased by ISIS and outlines the geographical territory through which they can be transported to the U.S. via drug smugglers and weapons dealers. The hypothesis is part of an article, "The Perfect Storm" by Western journalist John Cantlie, who is being held hostage by the jihadis.
The article is focused on how the growth of ISIS in the past year has gone undetected by Western intelligence agencies, and states that therefore Pakistani nuclear weapons can also be transported undetected. "What started as an explosive movement in Iraq has now suddenly turned into a global phenomenon that the West and the democratic world as a whole is ill-equipped to deal with," the writer notes.
"Let Me Throw A Hypothetical Operation Onto The Table: The Islamic State Has Billions Of Dollars In The Bank, So They Call On Their Wilayah In Pakistan To Purchase A Nuclear Device Through Weapons Dealers"
The author observes: "Let me throw a hypothetical operation onto the table. The Islamic State has billions of dollars in the bank, so they call on their wilayah in Pakistan to purchase a nuclear device through weapons dealers with links to corrupt officials in the region. The weapon is then transported overland until it makes it to Libya, where the mujahideen move it south to Nigeria. Drug shipments from Columbia bound for Europe pass through West Africa, so moving other types of contraband from East to West is just as possible. The nuke and accompanying mujahideen arrive on the shorelines of South America and are transported through the porous borders of Central America before arriving in Mexico and up to the border with the United States. From there it's just a quick hop through a smuggling tunnel and hey presto, they're mingling with another 12 million 'illegal' aliens in America with a nuclear bomb in the trunk of their car.
"Perhaps such a scenario is far-fetched but it's the sum of all fears for Western intelligence agencies and it's infinitely more possible today than it was just one year ago. And if not a nuke, what about a few thousand tons of ammonium nitrate explosive? That's easy enough to make. The Islamic State make no secret of the fact they have every intention of attacking America on its home soil and they're not going to mince about with two mujahideen taking down a dozen casualties if it originates from the Caliphate. They'll be looking to do something big, something that would make any past operation look like a squirrel shoot, and the more groups that pledge allegiance the more possible it becomes to pull off something truly epic."
The author attributes the expansion of ISIS to the following: "What's happening now is a pooling of skills and experience that poses the greatest danger the West has seen in modern times. When you have that amount of battle-hardened mujahideen all cooperating and exchanging information for the first time under one flag, the potential for operations on a previously unseen level rises exponentially." He reminds the reader: "Remember, all of this has happened in less than a year. How more dangerous will be the lines of communication and supply a year on from today? If the West completely failed to spot the emergence of the Islamic State and then the allies who so quickly pledged allegiance to it from around the world, what else of massive significance are they going to miss next?"
"[The] West Can Never Win This War"; "As The Territory Of The Islamic State Crosses From One Border To Another Like A Wildfire… It'll Be Only A Matter Of Time Before The Islamic State Reaches The Western World"
A large part of the article is devoted to the expansion of the ISIS from the Middle East to different parts of Africa and Asia. The author makes the following observations:
"The pledges of allegiance that are now being announced on a seemingly monthly basis from Islamic groups around the world to the Islamic State are exactly what every mujahid prayed for and a nightmare scenario for the military and political leaders of the democratic world. The incredible growth of the Caliphate and the fact that it is a living, breathing entity with thousands of square miles of territory has given Muslims around the Middle East, Asia, and Africa the belief and confidence to take up arms, pledge their loyalty, and launch operations with a unity and strength of purpose that has simply not been seen before.
"What started as the most explosive Islamic 'group' [ISIS] in the modern world has rapidly evolved into the most explosive Islamic movement the modern world has ever seen. Nothing on this scale has happened this big or this quick before. Huge swathes of Pakistan, Nigeria, Libya, Yemen, and the Sinai Peninsula are all now united under the black flag of Tawheed [Islamic monotheism], gelled together as one by the Islamic State. Mujahideen of Afghan provinces that were the scenes of fierce fighting for over a decade costing America trillions of dollars are now, less than six months after America 'withdrew' with its tail between its legs, loyal to the Caliphate."
"The energy behind this movement is fearsome. A single lion can kill an antelope but a pride that is hungry and cunning enough can, if they work closely together, take down an African elephant. As groups of mujahideen from around the world join forces, so the strength behind the Islamic State puts them in a position to devour much larger prey. The West and its allies have, once again, been caught completely by surprise as they now find themselves fighting not just one enemy in Iraq and Syria, but now an international army of mujahideen numbering hundreds of thousands in different countries, whole continents apart. It's taken the coalition the best part of a year to put together a campaign against the Islamic State that is only now seeing a Shia mob supported by coalition aircraft make moves against Tikrit, but that's old news before it's even begun."
"[The] West can never win this war. Perhaps once there was a chance that an attack inside the West or on Western borders by the Islamic State could be averted through negotiations, but no longer. As the territory of the Islamic State crosses from one border to another like a wildfire that is burning out of control, it’ll be only a matter of time before the Islamic State reaches the Western world."
Source: Archive.org (U.S.), May 21, 2015. The original English of the article has been lightly edited for clarity and standardization.
