Friday, July 18, 2014

Not everything you read about ISIS is true

Remember all the hype about how ISIS was the world's richest terrorist group due to having robbed US$400 million from "The Iraqi Central Bank in Mosul" (there's no such thing, but anyway)? The Financial Times has an excellent reported story, unfortunately paywalled, which explains that the whole thing NEVER HAPPENED.

Retractions will be forthcoming soon from the Daily Telegraph, International Business Times, and all other media outlets which ran with the original story. Right around the time that Vladimir Putin is held to account for MH17.

The non-existent bank heist thus joins the ISIS tweet to Lionel Messi and the $3000 Rolex adorning the would be Caliph as fabrications jointly promulgated by a publicity-savvy group and an endlessly gullible link-chasing media pack.