Over 100 ex-Saddam Hussein-era officers run ISI group’s military and intelligence operations in Iraq and Syria

Intelligence source said 100 to 160 former Iraqi army officers with IS.  The sources added that Saddam-era veterans also serve as “governors” for seven of the 12 “provinces” set up by the so-called Islamic State group in the territory it holds in Iraq.

According to reports, many of the Saddam-era officers have close tribal links to or are the sons of tribal leaders in their regions, giving IS a vital support network as well as helping recruitment. Several of the officers interviewed by the AP said they believe IS commanders persuaded fellow tribesmen in the security forces to abandon their positions without a fight.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s first two deputies, who each played a major role in setting up what would become its sweep over Syria and Iraq, were both Saddam-era officers, according to those interviewed by the AP.

Michael W.S. Ryan, a former senior executive at the State Department and Pentagon said that many of Saddam-era officers must have been inside the core of the insurgent movement in the Sunni triangle from the beginning.