Syrian rebels pose after seizing a border crossing. Photo: Screenshot.

Islamic State foreign recruits were placed in suicide units because they served no other use for the terrorist group, a former ISIS member told Your Middle East in a recent interview.

“I saw many foreign recruits who were put in the suicide squads not because they were ‘great and God wanted it’ as IS commanders praised them in front of us, but basically because they were useless for IS, they spoke no Arabic, they weren’t good fighters and had no professional skills,” said “Sherko Omer,” whose real identity was not revealed for security reasons.

“Omer” said recruits were promised women both in heaven and on earth based on ISIS jihadist teachings. They were also told it was permissible to rape their female captives. He said foreign recruits assigned to the suicide squads “were brainwashed into the ‘women in heaven’ and those they could rape on earth before they eventually killed themselves.”

“Omer” called himself a “technical professional” and told Your Middle East that because of his qualifications he was assigned technical work such as intercepting enemy calls and radio lines, as well as salvaging digital gadgets and archives during attacks. He said, “I am alive partly thanks to my qualifications.”

“You have to remember that ISIS has been portrayed as an organization of gangs only… but the political leadership pay unbelievable attention to education and educated recruits,” he explained. “But at the end of the day good moral values are based on the way education and intelligence are being used.”