EXCLUSIVE – Fearing Western Agents, Islamic State Enhances Vetting For New Recruits

TEL AVIV – The Islamic State has toughened its until now largely open recruitment policy, subjecting candidates to vetting, profiling, and interviews, an IS-supporting Palestinian jihadi source told Breitbart Jerusalem.

Commanders will use the vetting process to decide whether to accept the candidate, the source said. Before the potential new recruit is allowed to join IS forces in Iraq, Syria, the Egyptian Sinai, or Libya, his loyalty and reliability must be vouched for by other associates. Once the candidate has passed the first stage, the source said, the organization verifies that he has sufficient funds to travel to the Middle East. Upon arrival, he is subjected to further inquiries.

The source said that IS suspects some its new recruits are Western agents.

Once the new recruits arrive at IS-controlled territory, they undergo security checks, and attend religious and military training.

After their training is complete, the source said, the fighters are assigned to military, security, police, welfare, and propaganda positions.

The source said that recruits from Gaza were traditionally transported to Syria and Iraq, but following the organization’s recent difficulties in Sinai, they have been stationed there. In Sinai, they are not allowed to contact their families, barring rare exceptions, and are under constant supervision.

The change of policy comes in the wake of last month’s reported elimination of Abu Nabil al-Anbari, the leader of IS’s affiliate in Libya, in a coalition airstrike.