Islamic State magazine features interview with captured Jordanian pilot

The Islamic State (IS) on Monday released an interview with captured Jordanian pilot Muaz al-Kasasbeh in their magazine "Dabiq".

In an article called “The Capture of a Crusader Pilot” Kasasbeh is asked about the weapons used and operations carried out by the “crusaders” and their “murtadd airforce”.

“There are American bases in Qatar where the missions are planned, targets are decided, and assignments are distributed,” Kasasbeh tells the interviewer.

“They draw out the missions for every participating country a day before. The participating parties are informed of their assignments by 4 o’clock the next day. The Americans use aerial snipers, satellites, spies, and drones taking off from Gulf countries to determine and study targets. We are given aerial maps and pictures of the targets.”

Throughout the interview, Kasasbeh is referred to as “Murtadd” meaning “apostate.” The identity of the interviewer is unspecified.

“Have you met the American crusaders?” the interviewer asks.

“Of course,” replies Kasasbeh.

“There are around 200 Americans in Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base. Amongst them, there are about 16 US pilots, one of which is female, with the remainder of the 200 serving as technicians, engineers, and in other support roles. The Americans sometimes have dinner with us and eat mansaf [Jordanian meat dish], which they like a lot. Their talk does not include details about operations because of matters of secrecy and security.”

The interview ends with the interviewer asking Kasasbeh, “Do you know what the Islamic State will do with you?”

“Yes... They will kill me...” he replies.

Kasasbeh, a 26-year old lieutenant with the Jordanian air force, was engaged in a bombing raid near the eastern town Raqqa, seen as an IS stronghold in Syria, when his plane came down on 24 December.

The Islamic State has claimed they had downed the plane using a heat-seeking missile after it lost altitude, a position backed up by Kasasbeh in his interview.

However, US officials rejected the claim, saying “evidence clearly indicates [IS] did not down the aircraft.”

Among the other content in the magazine is an article by captured British journalist John Cantlie called “Meltdown” examining the history of global financial collapse and discussing the minting of a new currency by IS, a move long mooted by the group which has so far yet to materialise.

Criticising the growth of “dollar-linked fiat currencies” he explains that the new currency will be a range of gold dinars and silver dirhams and quotes approvingly from such sources as right-wing US politician Ron Paul and anarchist academic David Graeber on the inevitable collapse of the global dollar-backed economy.

“Of course, many central banks around the world rubbish the idea of a return to gold or a gold standard in the 21^st Century, citing that it would be a huge step backwards,” Cantlie writes.

“But it’s the job of mega bankers to rubbish gold, because if the world were to return to a monetary system based on precious metals, the control they and governments have over the country and financial health of the public would cease to exist. They’d be out of a job. You cannot manipulate the value of gold. It is what the market demands it be. But with paper money you can fiddle around as much as you like. And it’s all designed to bleed as much money as possible out of the average consumer’s pocket.”

Many have speculated that Cantlie had converted to Islam and become a supporter of IS after being captured by militants in Syria in 2012. Since September 2014, Cantlie has appeared in numerous IS propaganda videos calmly and eloquently explaining the IS position and confirming or denying rumours surrounding the group.

The magazine also contains criticism of Yemen’s al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and praise for Man Haron Monis, the IS supporter responsible for taking 17 people hostage in a café in Sydney, Australia in mid-December, leading to the deaths of two people.

Dabiq claims to be "a periodical magazine focusing on the issues of tawhid (unity), manhaj (truth-seeking), hijrah (migration), jihad (holy struggle) and jama'ah (community).”

IS has been notorious for conducting a slick and well-produced media campaign since seizing control of Mosul in Iraq in June 2014. The numerous videos, articles and recordings released by the group through sympathetic websites and social media have been pinpointed by analysts as a key factor in the group’s recruitment of thousands of international volunteers.