Does ISIS Have Ebola? Probably Not! Media Reports It Anyway
The New York Post decided that it was a good idea to report that members of ISIS may have been infected with Ebola. In other news, Andy Borowitz has been hired at the New York Post. (Haha, no, kidding. Can you imagine, though?)
Apparently, the World Health Organization is investigating claims made by Iraqi newspaper Al-Sabah that Ebola and HIV-AIDS are spreading among residents of Mosul, brought there by "terrorists and expats from different countries, especially Africa." Mosul is held by ISIS; Al-Sabah is the official Iraqi government newspaper.
Mashable reports that the story, which originated in Al-Sabah, has spread amongst other pro-government and Kurdish newspapers. Like a virus! Might such outlets have an interest in encouraging the notion that ISIS fighters were stricken with highly-stigmatized diseases? Hmm.
Meanwhile, Forbes reported in October that ISIS maybe possibly could use Ebola as a weapon:
If ISIS wanted to send half a dozen of its operatives into an Ebola outbreak region and intentionally expose themselves to the virus, they very well could. The idea is then once they had intentionally infected themselves, they would try to interact with as many people in their target city or country of choice.
So maybe that ridiculous scenario is coming to pass. Maybe! Maybe. There's just no way for us to know for sure. Then again, "We've seen no specific credible intelligence that [ISIS] is attempting to use any sort of disease or virus to attack our homeland," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said in October.
Oh, and also, according to Iraq's Ministry of Health, there are no doctors in Mosul that have the capacity to diagnose Ebola. The reports are "incorrect" and "unfounded," a ministry spokesman said.
[Photo credit: AP Images]