article_snippet.sent: Militants fighting for the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq are being led by a highly secretive group of strategists and officials that were once senior figures in Hussein's Iraqi Army.
article_snippet.sent: Despite thousands of foreign fighters flocking to join the terror group and starring in the terror group propaganda videos, ISIS leadership is dominated by ex-members of the dictator's military.
article_snippet.sent: Almost all of the regional commanders appointed by ISIS leader and self-declared caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, played prominent roles in Hussein's Iraqi Army before the 2003 invasion of Iraq and became involved with ISIS either in the resulting insurgency or after the dictator's 2006 execution.
article_snippet.sent: Despite thousands of foreign fighters flocking to join the terror group and starring in the terror group propaganda videos, ISIS leadership is dominated by ex-members of the military of Hussein (pictured) Militants: Almost all the highly secretive officials overseeing the day-to-day running of the Islamic State (pictured) are former members of Hussein's Iraqi Army .
article_snippet.sent: One former Syrian rebel who became an ISIS regional commander told the Washington Post that One former Syrian rebel who became an ISIS regional commander found that almost all of the highly secretive officials overseeing all aspects to the terror group's day-to-day business were ex members of Hussein's Iraqi Army.
article_snippet.sent: Leader: Almost all of the regional commanders appointed by ISIS' leader and self-declared caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured), played prominent roles in Hussein's Iraqi Army before the 2003 invasion of Iraq .
article_snippet.sent: Many of these highly-trained commanders joined the insurgency in the country in the mid-2000s, which was dominated by ISIS who at the time were known by the name Al Qaeda in Iraq.
article_snippet.sent: When al-Baghdadi took control of the group in 2010, many of these highly-trained commanders were given prominent leadership roles in the hope these highly-trained commanders might win the support of the Sunni tribes who dominate Western Iraq and who have been largely ignored by the country's Shia-led Baghdad government.
article_snippet.sent: The process had, however been started by al-Baghdadi's predecessor Abu Omar al-Baghdadi who was himself a former Iraqi Army officer and therefore more trusted by the military than the Jordanian criminal, former gangster and ex-alcoholic who founded ISIS, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
article_snippet.sent: Past: The process of giving former Iraqi commanders senior roles was started by al-Baghdadi predecessor Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (left) who was a former Iraqi Army officer and therefore more trusted than the Jordanian criminal, former gangster and ex-alcoholic who founded ISIS, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
highlights_snippet.sent: ISIS leadership is dominated by former members of Hussein's Iraqi Army .
  