The man before people looked a really unlikely "Prince of Police" for the extremists referred to as Muslim State, however that's precisely WHO he aforesaid he was - and he had video to prove it.
Abu Saqr has cut his beard, donned a dashing very little hat and brought up smoking since he is left his job - all actions that might have earned him a licking once his former bosses were accountable.
But currently he's yearning for a brand new life. Like numerous former IS stalwarts, fighters and staff we've got spoken to, he's pleading innocence to United States.
Despite being asked to square in as what was delineate as Raqqa's "Prince of Police" and being accountable of varied government officials IS jobs, Abu Saqr is emphatic that he "did nothing wrong".
"There was nothing I might do," he insisted. "I was feeble. I did what I might."
He maintains he showed tidy leniency and took variety of risks by on the QT defying his extremist chiefs. whereas accountable of prosecutions, he says he did his best to push for fewer severe punishments being handed down.
He was accountable of making ready cases which might go before associate leader WHO would act as choose and pronounce social control.
He spoke of 1 specific case wherever a boy of fourteen was caught robbing a house. He was sentenced to arm amputation.
When I asked if he might have done a lot of forestall} it or prevent it, he aforesaid it absolutely was not possible, that he felt guilty regarding it, on the other hand went onto say: "In jurisprudence, a bloke beneath eighteen may be a kid, however beneath our law, beneath shariah, once he's fourteen he submits to sharia law laws and he's not a boy."
"In plenty of the cases I had to arrange, I neglected them and forgave them. Once throughout a spiritual competition, I released regarding twenty folks. They weren't massive crimes.
"They were like theft and different tiny crimes and seventieth of the robberies were by kids. the youngsters wont to visit the bombed buildings and take a look at to gather copper and wire. i might simply allow them to go free.
"But some folks due their sentence. If somebody may be a killer, if somebody raped a girl, they be it."
Speaking candidly, he continued: "I did not do hurt to anyone. The folks dear ME. except for currently, I even have to disappear. plenty of individuals ar angry with ISIS (another name for IS) and that we ar frightened of reactions.
"I neglected and helped plenty of individuals. it absolutely was higher simply to create it easier for folks. however if the leaders of ISIS knew that I expedited a limit of Supreme Being while not social control, they will kill ME."
He tells United States that before the battle for Raqqa began in June last year, all the Princes (heads, emirs) and ministers were ordered to depart the town and get replaced by fighters - largely foreign ones.
He managed to export himself out along with his family within the crowds of civilian refugees WHO were fleeing Asian nation. He says he was helped by one in every of those he had spared from social control.
Are you frightened of receiving your own social control currently you're outside IS territory? I raise.
"No", he replies. "I'm simply frightened of IS finding ME. they need spies everyplace."
Abu Saqr conjointly insisted the celebrations in Raqqa's main bowl in Oct because the Syrian Democratic Forces rescued the town and declared it freed from IS were wildly premature.
The world's eyes are primarily targeted on the battle against IS in Asian nation and Asian nation, he said, however all the whereas, the phobia cluster had long settled to African country.
"There was only a few left in Raqqa by the top," he said. "Only the foreign fighters were left behind.
"They had obscurity to travel and were there to the death. everybody else largely left."
He managed to export himself out along with his family within the crowds of civilian refugees WHO were fleeing Asian nation. He says he was helped by one in every of those he had spared from social control.
Are you frightened of receiving your own social control currently you're outside IS territory? I raise.
"No", he replies. "I'm simply frightened of IS finding ME. they need spies everyplace."
Abu Saqr conjointly insisted the celebrations in Raqqa's main bowl in Oct because the Syrian Democratic Forces rescued the town and declared it freed from IS were wildly premature.
The world's eyes are primarily targeted on the battle against IS in Asian nation and Asian nation, he said, however all the whereas, the phobia cluster had long settled to African country.
"There was only a few left in Raqqa by the top," he said. "Only the foreign fighters were left behind.
"They had obscurity to travel and were there to the death. everybody else largely left."
He managed to export himself out along with his family within the crowds of civilian refugees WHO were fleeing Asian nation. He says he was helped by one in every of those he had spared from social control.
Are you frightened of receiving your own social control currently you're outside IS territory? I raise.
"No", he replies. "I'm simply frightened of IS finding ME. they need spies everyplace."
Abu Saqr conjointly insisted the celebrations in Raqqa's main bowl in Oct because the Syrian Democratic Forces rescued the town and declared it freed from IS were wildly premature.
The world's eyes are primarily targeted on the battle against IS in Asian nation and Asian nation, he said, however all the whereas, the phobia cluster had long settled to African country.
"There was only a few left in Raqqa by the top," he said. "Only the foreign fighters were left behind.
"They had obscurity to travel and were there to the death. everybody else largely left."
He managed to export himself out along with his family within the crowds of civilian refugees WHO were fleeing Asian nation. He says he was helped by one in every of those he had spared from social control.
Are you frightened of receiving your own social control currently you're outside IS territory? I raise.
"No", he replies. "I'm simply frightened of IS finding ME. they need spies everyplace."
Abu Saqr conjointly insisted the celebrations in Raqqa's main bowl in Oct because the Syrian Democratic Forces rescued the town and declared it freed from IS were wildly premature.
The world's eyes are primarily targeted on the battle against IS in Asian nation and Asian nation, he said, however all the whereas, the phobia cluster had long settled to African country.
"There was only a few left in Raqqa by the top," he said. "Only the foreign fighters were left behind.
"They had obscurity to travel and were there to the death. everybody else largely left"
He with politeness refused to answer a lot of specific, elaborated questions about future IS plans, however ominously said: "Libya is that the ISIS gate to Europe. they need several cells there."
IS, it seems, contains a new headquarters.