scholarly journals The Demise of the Islamic State and the Fate of Its Western Foreign Fighters: Six Things to Consider

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorne L. Dawson
Keyword(s):  
Islamic State ◽  
Foreign Fighters

DERADICALIZATION OF RETURNING FOREIGN FIGHTERS AND HOMEGROWN TERORRISTS

2021 ◽  
pp. 87-100
Author(s):  
DANILO VUJOVIĆ ◽  
NEDELJKO CVETKOVIĆ
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Security Risk ◽  
European Security ◽  
Preventive Work ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Foreign Fighters

In the last couple of years, with the prolification of the Migrant Crisis and the defeat of the Islamic State, the return of the foreign fighters, who went form Europe to the Caliphate and joined the local conflict, as well as the problem of the homegrown terrorism have become the focal point of almost all national security strategies of European countries. The situation that followed drove the authors to set the possible approaches to solving this challenge to European security as a goal for their research. The subject of this article encompasses the process of deradicalization, as the only humane way to deal with the problem at hand, as well as the process of radicalization, as necessary for understanding the formation of the individuals that pose a threat to the security of Europe. The article also tackles the preventive work directed at those social groups that are deemed susceptible to radicalization, as well as the use of individualized and holistic approach to the radicalized individuals. Special consideration is given to the programs of deradicalization as a form of institutionalized way of dealing with this type of a security risk. In the conclusion the authors give their own view of what is the most adeqaute approach when working with radicalized individuals and the role of certain elements of society in it.

Understanding the Islamic State—A Review Essay

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 127-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Byman
Keyword(s):  
Review Essay ◽  
Military Force ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
The West ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Terrorist Threat ◽  
Security Forces ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Raison D’État ◽  
Foreign Fighters

This article reviews several recent books on the Islamic State in order to understand its goals, motivations, strategy, and vulnerabilities. It argues that the Islamic State's ideology is powerful but also highly instrumental, offering the group legitimacy and recruiting appeal. Raison d'etat often dominates its decisionmaking. The Islamic State's strength is largely a consequence of the policies and weaknesses of its state adversaries. In addition, the group has many weaknesses of its own, notably its brutality, reliance on foreign fighters, and investment in a state as well as its tendency to seek out new enemies. The threat the Islamic State poses is most severe at the local and regional levels. The danger of terrorism to the West is real but mitigated by the Islamic State's continued prioritization of the Muslim world and the heightened focus of Western security forces on the terrorist threat. A high-quality military force could easily defeat Islamic State fighters, but there is no desire to deploy large numbers of Western ground troops, and local forces have repeatedly shown many weaknesses. In the end, containing the Islamic State and making modest rollback efforts may be the best local outcomes.

scholarly journals Jihadist war or a challenge of disintegration?

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-250
Author(s):  
Péter Balogh
Keyword(s):  
Developed Countries ◽  
Actual State ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Terrorist Organization ◽  
Socio Demographic Factors ◽  
The Developed Countries ◽  
The One ◽  
Foreign Fighters

In this paper we introduce some relevant research results about the role of social embeddedness and social resources in the sphere of social conflicts and violence. In accordance with the actual state of the investigation process the outcomes presented in this analysis are focusing on the activities of the so called ‘Islamic State’or ISIS – considered to be a rather effective terrorism exporter recently. After briefly outlining the broader – global – context of terrorist organizations, the particular characteristics of the activities of ISIS and some elements of the conceptual frame, the study highlights empirically two potential explaining factors of the success of the terrorist organization. On the one hand the influencing network – primarily linked to the cyber sphere – of the Islamic State is explored, demonstrating a notable focus on the developed countries of Europe. On the other hand the paper summarizes the main conclusions from a case study on the recruitment base of the militants in Brussels of the terrorist organization investigating the relationship between the territorial distribution of the ISIS foreign fighters in city and the extent of segregation of the Islamic population in the different districts, including also certain socio-demographic factors to shed light on the significance of the broader – unfavourable – social context.

scholarly journals FIGHTING FOR ISIS – THE CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Cieslar
Keyword(s):  
Great Britain ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Online Chat ◽  
Religious Motivation ◽  
Recruitment Methods ◽  
The Us ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
Short Time

Abstract: The purpose of this research paper is to examine the online recruitment processes and socio-economic factors that allow for the radicalisation of people in Great Britain. The paper will address the following questions: 1) what are ISIS recruitment methods? 2) what makes the recruitment successful? 3) is religious motivation the main factor why people decide to fight for the Islamic State? According to the US National Counterterrorism Centre, in the recent years Islamic State (ISIS) recruited an estimate of 3,400 Westerners ready to fight its cause around the globe. Islamic State has a far more successful rate in luring members from the West than Al-Qaeda. In a relatively short time ISIS went from being an unknown terror cell to threatening worldwide security. Great Britain experienced a number of terrorist attacks in the recent years and the responsibility for them had been claimed by ISIS. However, with the arrival of easy access to the internet the radicalisation of young Britons has been on the rise in the recent years. The studies suggest that there are different motivations for joining Islamic State. Foreign fighters are made to believe that the terrorist group offers values that western democracies seem to lack, namely a common purpose, good morals and sense of belonging. These values are attractive for Muslims and for the new converts alike. Additionally, ISIS recruiters run an online propaganda machine. The process of radicalisation moved from the mosques into more effective online chat-rooms and social media forums.

Returning foreign fighters: The case of Denmark

2018 ◽  
Vol 100 (907-909) ◽  
pp. 315-336
Author(s):  
Helene Højfeldt Jakobsen
Keyword(s):  
Criminal Law ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Armed Forces ◽  
International Humanitarian Law ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Direct Part ◽  
Humanitarian Law ◽  
Armed Group ◽  
Legal Regimes ◽  
Foreign Fighters

AbstractThis article considers which legal regimes apply in cases where a Danish citizen and/or resident returns from Syria or Iraq after having taken part in the armed conflict on behalf of the group known as Islamic State, and continues his/her affiliation with the armed group. The article argues that international humanitarian law currently applies to the Danish territory and that a Danish foreign fighter may continue to be considered as taking a direct part in hostilities after having returned from Iraq or Syria. The article then considers the application of Danish criminal law to returned foreign fighters and argues that Danish counterterrorism laws do not apply to members of the armed forces of an armed group that is party to an armed conflict with Denmark.

ISG is unlikely to infiltrate refugee flows to Europe

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Middle East ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Economic Crises ◽  
Far Right ◽  
Content Type ◽  
State Group ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Inter State ◽  
Security Crises

Subject ISG infiltration of refugee flows. Significance Refugee arrivals in Europe in 2016, large if not at 2015 levels, will put yet more pressure on the EU, which is already struggling to address economic crises, political polarisation and inter-state divisions on how to address security crises in Ukraine and the Middle East. Suspicions have grown that among the refugees are operatives of the Islamic State group (ISG). Impacts ISG's foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria will seek to expand their relationships with existing extremist networks in Europe. Speculation over ISG's presence within refugee flows will continue, especially as far-right parties continue to perform well in elections. The EU-Turkey deal may slow refugee flows, but the existing numbers of refugees will continue to attract suspicion from authorities.

scholarly journals READINESS OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FOR THE RETURN OF FOREIGN FIGHTERS OF THE ISLAMIC STATE

2020 ◽  
pp. 87-106
Author(s):  
DENIS ČALETA ◽  
SARA PERKOVIĆ
Keyword(s):  
Security Policy ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
European Security ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
Eu Legislation ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Foreign And Security Policy ◽  
The Common ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
The Eu

Povzetek V analizi smo želeli prikazati, ali so tuji borci resnično nevarni za evropsko varnost, saj vemo, da je morebitna grožnja vedno mogoča. Do zdaj je bilo zelo težko oceniti grožnjo vrnitve tujih borcev. V raziskavo smo vključili dve državi, v katerih so napade izvedli tuji borci, ki so se vrnili v državo. Vključeni državi sta bili Belgija in Francija. V raziskavi smo primerjali politiko posameznih držav s skupno zunanjo in varnostno politiko EU. Ugotavljali smo, kako se te države spoprijemajo z vrnitvijo tujih borcev in kateri ukrepi so bili glede tega sprejeti. Poleg tega smo poskušali oceniti, ali so bolj osredotočeni na pregon tujih borcev, ki se vračajo, ali je njihov poudarek na programih deradikalizacije in reintegracije. Ključne besede Tuji borci, terorizem, Islamska država, EU, zakonodaja. Abstract This analysis will consider whether foreign fighters pose a real danger to European security, knowing that the potential threat is always possible. Up to now, assessing the threat of returning foreign fighters has been very difficult. In this article we have attempted to analyze the attacks that have been carried out by returning foreign fighters in Belgium and France. Our research compared the politics of individual countries with the common foreign and security policy of the EU. We have investigated how these countries are dealing with the return of foreign fighters and what measures have been taken in this regard. In addition, we have tried to evaluate whether they are more focused on the prosecution of returning foreign fighters or whether their focus is connected with deradicalization and reintegration programmes. Key words Foreign fighters, terrorism, Islamic state, EU, legislation.

Transnational Terrorism

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex S. Wilner
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cold War ◽  
North Africa ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
European Security ◽  
Transnational Terrorism ◽  
Post Cold War ◽  
Emerging Trends ◽  
Islamist Terrorism ◽  
Foreign Fighters

Transnational terrorism, an enduring phenomenon that became a hallmark of the post-cold-war era, continues to evolve. This chapter explores several emerging trends in Islamist terrorism that are likely to challenge European security institutions in the coming years and decades. The chapter argues that the Islamic State has revolutionized the jihadist landscape. ISIS has effectively eclipsed al-Qaeda, modernizing its predecessor’s hidebound model of allegiance and recruitment, sponsoring and facilitating attacks overseas, lighting sectarian fires across the Middle East and North Africa, and exploiting cyber tools and social media to propagandize itself widely. Relatedly, European foreign fighters have joined ISIS at an unprecedented clip: several thousand have fought within its ranks. Combining these trends helps illustrate how transnational terrorism challenges European security in new and complex ways.

Analysis of Middle Eastern Refugee Kinetics and Concept of Hijrah under Daesh

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Waseem Iftikhar
Keyword(s):  
Middle Eastern ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Syrian Refugees ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Push And Pull Factors ◽  
Rational Actor ◽  
Social Landscape ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
Push And Pull ◽  
Kinetics Of

The theory of Post-structuralism, parts its way from traditional Neo- Realist and Neo-Liberalist theories on the notion of state as a rational actor. The reason for this departure is that this concept discards and marginalizes others, such as non-state and trans-state actors and those persecuted by their own state such as refugees. Turmoil in Middle East has created a crucial situation surrounding refugees’ issue. As per UNHCR there are almost 4.8 Million registered Syrian refugees, the total number of refugees around the globe is much higher. Besides others, Islamic State or ISIS has been instrumental in displacing such large swaths of population out of their homes. On one hand ISIS has made the stay of locals untenable creating millions of refugees, and on the other hand, they are inviting foreign fighters to move to Syria through a more traditional Islamic concept of Hijrah (literal meanings migration). These two groups (refugees and migrants) crisscross each other on spatiotemporally variable pathways as they embark on a complex and opaque social landscape. There is a need to study the kinetics of these groups based on the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors as theorized by Kunz in his theory of refugees and through the analysis of identifiable and identical set of discourses in contemporary refugee studies.

Why Is ISIS so Psychologically Attractive?

2016 ◽  
pp. 149-167
Author(s):  
Loo Seng Neo ◽  
Priscilla Shi ◽  
Leevia Dillon ◽  
Jethro Tan ◽  
Yingmin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Motivational Factors ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Islamic State ◽  
Security Threat ◽  
New Members ◽  
The Law ◽  
Foreign Fighters ◽  
Behavioural Sciences ◽  
The Way

Since the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) became prominent after the release of beheading videos of its prisoners, many have been confused over how to describe this development in relation to the way the Internet is exploited by violent extremists. While the element of surprise and horror lingered on the minds of many observers, a more pressing question facing the law enforcement is: how does ISIS attract foreign fighters using such videos and online propaganda? As countries around the globe grapple with the security threat posed by their nationals travelling to join ISIS, the need to be au fait with the appeal of ISIS and its ability to use the Internet to recruit new members and sympathisers becomes even more apparent. This chapter uses a behavioural sciences lens to explicate how individual and organisational motivational factors may contribute to the overall appeal of joining ISIS.

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