The news that the Islamic State (ISIS) has beheaded 16 Syrian fighters is "definitely" a sign of desperation, says national security analyst Ryan Mauro.
"ISIS thrives off of this depiction that they are winning because if they are winning, then they can make the argument that Allah is blessing them; Allah approves of what they're doing," Mauro, national security analyst for the Clarion Project, told J.D. Hayworth on "America's Forum" on
Newsmax TV Tuesday.
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"Therefore recruits that may have previously had reservations about what ISIS believes and does would say, 'Well, if they're winning then obviously they have the correct interpretation,'" he explained.
"Losing is very, very deadly for ISIS," he said.
"What they're trying to do, is they're putting out this video as they're stalling and in some cases losing major territory in Iraq and Syria in order to say, 'No, we are still winning, we're still here and one of the other messages . . . is this is wrapped in end times Islamic prophecy," Mauro contends.
"They are telling Muslims that 'We are fulfilling end times prophecy, don't worry about the military superiority of our enemies because the Mahdi and Jesus, the Islamic version of Jesus, is going to come and bring us victory,'" he added.
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