Here Are The Archaic Rules Enforced By The Al-Qaeda Offshoot Taking Over Cities In Iraq And Syria

Earlier this week, roughly 800 insurgents - many of them linked to the extremist al-Qaeda offshoot ISIS - took over the country's second-largest city, Mosul, after 30,000 Iraqi troops fled.

Iraqi officials in Baghdad conceded that the fighters commandeered military arsenal, released hundreds of prisoners from jail, and seized up to $430 million from the city's central bank.

They have told people in Mosul to return to work and have asked the more than 500,000 people who fled to come back. But that seems unlikely given the extremists group's draconian rules, which have been enforced with brutal punishments across northern Syria.

The following map is from Institute for the Study of War is an up-to-date depiction under ISIS control.

Journalist Jenan Mousa translated highlights from the new rules set forth by the ISIS in the Nineveh province the northwest of Iraq:

ISIS has published its first set of new rules for the province of #Nineveh. In following tweets I will translate highlights. (1/11) @akhbar

- Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) June 12, 2014

• "For women, dress decently and wear wide clothes. Only go out if needed."

• "Our position on Shrines and graves is clear. All to be destroyed basically."

• "Gatherings, carrying flags (other than that of Islamic State) and carrying guns is not allowed. God ordered us to stay united."

• "For the police, soldiers and other Kafir institutions, you can repent. We opened special places that will allow you to repent."

• "No drugs, no alcohol and no cigarettes allowed."

• "We warn tribal leaders and Sheikhs not to "work with government and be traitors."

• "We ask all Muslims to perform prayers on time in the mosques."

• "Money we took from Safavid government is now public. Only Imam of Muslims can spend it. Anyone who steals hand will be cut."

• "For those asking who are you? We are soldiers of Islam and took on our responsibility to bring back glory of the Islamic Caliphate."

• "People you tried secular rulings (Republic, Baathist, Safavides) and it pained you. Now it is time for Islamic State Imam Abu Bakr El Qurashi.

(Here are the documents in Arabic.)

ISIS, with fighters about 75 miles from the capital, is now threatening to march on Baghdad despite being badly outmannned by Iraqi army forces. The Kurds are also involved, capturing the coveted city of Kirkuk in northeast Iraq.

Importantly, any successful campaign by ISIS will ultimately require the people to allow it.

ISIS does not have the manpower to repeatedly take & hold multiple major urban centres in #Iraq. Instead, ISIS appears to represent.. (1/2)

- Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) June 12, 2014

.. a catalyst force capable of taking individual targets separately, thereby opening them up to wider revolting/armed Sunni population #Iraq

- Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) June 12, 2014

So ISIS is totally reliant on a tacitly sympathetic & facilitatory Sunni population. Without this, ISIS will struggle to take or hold. #Iraq

- Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) June 12, 2014