nationalpost | A young, red-bearded ethnic Chechen has rapidly become one of the
most prominent commanders in the breakaway Al-Qaeda group that has
overrun swaths of Iraq and Syria, illustrating the international nature
of the movement.
Omar Al-Shishani, one of hundreds of Chechens who have been among the
toughest jihadi fighters in Syria, has emerged as the face of the
Islamic State of Iraq and Al-Sham (ISIS), appearing frequently in its
online videos — in contrast to the group’s Iraqi leader, Abu Bakr
Al-Baghdadi, who remains deep in hiding and has hardly ever been
photographed.
In a video released by the group over the weekend, Mr. Al-Shishani is
shown standing next to the group’s spokesman among a group of fighters
as they declare the elimination of the border between Iraq and Syria.
The video was released just hours before the extremist group announced
the creation of a caliphate — or Islamic state — in the areas it
controls.
“Our aim is clear and everyone knows why we are fighting. Our path is
toward the caliphate,” the 28-year-old Mr. Al-Shishani declares. “We
will bring back the caliphate, and if God does not make it our fate to
restore the caliphate, then we ask him to grant us martyrdom.”
