The Islamic State (ISIS) terror organization is hunting for foreign consultants willing to travel to Iraq and Syria to teach the jihadists how to use and maintain their weapons.
The group has sent word to black-market arms traffickers that it is willing to pay for outside advisers, according to a U.S. military officer familiar with ISIS.
"They've captured our weapons, and now they're trying to use them against us, but some of them are too sophisticated for them, and so they need special instructions," the officer told
The Washington Times.
One of ISIS' major strengths is its $2 billion financial war chest, making it the richest terror group in history.
U.S. officials say it is possible that rogue weapons experts from nations like Russia and Bulgaria are prepared to assist radical terrorists willing to pay premium prices for their services.
Less clear is whether top-flight weapons experts are prepared to collaborate with an organization as murderous as ISIS.
"They have a very sophisticated recruiting system and recruiting conduits," said retired Army Lt. Gen. James Dubik, an analyst with the Institute for the Study of War.
Noting that some Americans and Europeans have agreed to work with ISIS, Dubik said it is "not inconceivable that they could attract some former soldiers."
Security force members with former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein’s Sunni forces have joined ISIS. These Iraqi intelligence veterans have helped teach top ISIS leaders to evade American surveillance, a former U.S. military intelligence officer told the Times.
According to U.S. Central Command, despite some media reports to the contrary, ISIS does not control any captured U.S. aircraft, such as helicopters or fighter jets.
But war video shows the group is operating M1A1 Abrams tanks (the U.S. Army’s main battle tank), and it has captured substantial numbers of M198 towed howitzers.
There is growing concern on Capitol Hill that ISIS is using its financial wealth to bolster its weapons arsenal and attract high-quality military advisers.
On Capitol Hill last week, Treasury Department Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen pleaded for patience as the Obama administration works to dry up funding for the jihadist group,
The Hill reported.
“Our efforts to combat its financing will take time, “ Cohen said. “We have no silver bullet, no secret weapon, to empty [ISIS] coffers overnight.”
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