Thread by @TimInHonolulu

1. I reported on the first Russo-Ukrainian war starting with the Maidan Jan 2014. After Merkel & Macron's Minsk I and II, I focused on Syria in a belief that ISIS was a Russian and Iranian operation to destroy Syrian Sunnis political unity. I worked to arm and assist the Kurds.

2. The force grew and establishment of the #SDF brought #Sunni #Arabs, #Christians & #Turkmen to join a single umbrella force with US airpower taking back large parts of #Syria. They still hold it much of it but #Putin gave large parts to #Erdogan who folded in ISIS & Al-#Qaeda

3. and along with #Russia, #Turkey, #Iran and #Assad act as a sort of overwatch. With US SOF and Bradleys from the 4th ID there as democracy's last hope.

When the Battle for Raqqa started in 2017, I observed ISIS military leadership made up of mostly Chechens started to leave.

4. By the time of ISIS' final surrender east of Deir Ezzor, few Chechen fighters remained. Essentially just wives & children of Chechen fighters. To my knowledge none of the Chechen commanders running ISIS' military operations were captured.

5. The point of this is, it's almost certain Kadyrov was running that op. And he got his people out and many are now likely in #Mariupol. I think @StateDept @CIA and @ODNI obscured the official #Chechen role in ISIS as part of a misguided #RealPolitik fever-dream as too hot

6. to ever mention for fear we might upset #Putin. I think that ship has sailed. If, as I suspect, Kadyrov is an #ISIS nka #Daesh affiliate, naming him and putting him on our #EO12333 gift list makes perfect sense. Make every Chechen fighter know that they're going on the list

7. unless they remove Kadyrov from their herd. List his political organization as a nebulous foreign terrorist organization and Daesh affiliate. Name Kadyrov and a few of his closest comrades as members and make it clear without saying it that Kadyrov and his insiders

8. are all going in the drone database. And make it clear we know the people in Mariupol are ISIS that Joe Biden has 2001 Congressional authorization to eliminate any Daesh without triggering the US War Powers Act. Start identifying the Chechen command in Ukraine.

9. Prove me wrong by showing the whereabouts in 2015 to 2017 of the Chechen commanders in #Mariupol. I'm pretty sure none of them are the asset DFG gave up to the Russians in the Oval Office because he was likely dead soon after the meeting.

10. And if as I suspect, the asset DFG gave up to the Russians was a @IDF #Mossad asset and they will know if I'm right that he was Chechen. And certainly dead after Lord Blabbermouth blew his cover. @POTUS @SecDef @CYBERCOM_DIRNSA @WHNSC @SecBlinken @StateDeptSpox @ODNIgov