James Phillips of the Heritage Foundation has said he believes that ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has designs on becoming the next Osama bin Laden. I would argue that the terrorist chief is more interested in becoming the next Saddam Hussein. Saddam was a devotee of the good life. He drank 50-year-old Scotch and smoked Cuban cigars. While I can’t say with certainty that either of those earthly pleasures appeals to Baghdadi, I can tell you that a recent snapshot shows him wearing a très-expensive timepiece on his right wrist, which several commentators believe is either a Rolex or a Sekonda valued at approximately $7,000.
Unlike Saddam, however, Baghdadi also has his entrepreneurial side. It is now believed he had a hand in promoting the sportswear available on Indonesia-based websites emblazoned with slogans like “Mujahideen Around the World/ United We Stand.” (Talk about your “killer chic” apparel!) The latest ISIS-inspired product to surface is ISIS brand soda:
The image is courtesy of Weasel Zippers, which had the scoop. I don’t read Arabic and, therefore, can’t tell you what’s on the label, though “Death to infidels!” seems like a reasonable guess. If they are looking for a marketing hook for the product, they might recommend drinking it “ISIS-cold.” (The alternate pun would be to riff on the similarities between Big Daddy and Baghdadi, but I got nothing.)