“The Independent”: First Western Journalist Ever to Be Given Access to So-called “Islamic State” Returns, Warns against “IS” Danger

LONDON-The “Independent” Newspaper on Sunday published an article by its reporter Adam Withnall saying that the first Western journalist in the world to be allowed extensive access to ISIS-controlled areas in Syria and Iraq has returned from the region with a warning: the group is “much stronger and much more dangerous” than anyone in the West realizes.

Jürgen Todenhöfer, 74, is a renowned German journalist and publicist who travelled through Turkey to Mosul, the largest city occupied by ISIS, after months of negotiations with the group’s leaders, the newspaper reported.

He plans to publish a summary of his 10 days in the so-called Islamic State on Monday, but in interviews with German-language media outlets has revealed his first impressions of what life is like under Isis.

Speaking to the website Der tz, Todenhöfer revealed that he actually stayed in the same hotel in Benghazi as James Foley, the US journalist who was beheaded on camera by the terrorists of the Isis in August.

“Of course, I’ve seen the terrible, brutal video and it was one of my main concerns during the negotiations as to how I can avoid [the same fate],” he said.

According to the “Independent”, Todenhöfer said his strongest impression was “that Isis is much stronger than we think here”. He said it is supported by hundreds of fighters from around the world.

“Each day, hundreds of willing fighters arrive from all over the world,” he told tz.

Todenhöfer claims to have been able to move among Isis fighters, observing their living conditions and equipment. On his Facebook page, he has posted images which he said show German Heckler and Koch MG3 machine guns in the hands of Isis. “Someday this German MG could be directed to us,” he warned.

Two days after his return to Germany last week, Todenhöfer said in an interview that most concerning of all was Isis terrorists’ belief that “all religions who agree with democracy have to die”.

He said the view that kept being repeated was that Isis wants to “conquer the world” and all who do not believe in the group’s interpretation of the Koran will be killed.

H. Mustafa