Non-jihadi, women, and children after the fall of the ‘caliphate’

European non-jihadist foreign fighters

The territorial collapse of the self-proclaimed Daesh ‘caliphate’ is likely to result in the return of European foreign fighters to their home countries. While returning Jihadist combatants are included in the European counter-terrorism high-priority watch lists, the phenomenon of non-jihadist combatants who travelled to Iraq and Syria to fight Daesh (as many as 2000 fighters since 2013) seems overlooked. In the article written by Ariel Koch (2019) “The Non-Jihadi Foreign Fighters: Western Right-Wing and Left-Wing Extremists in Syria”, the author highlights the risk from underestimating the potential threat posed by non-jihadi foreign fighters “motivated by western-oriented right-wing and left-wing political extremism”. Dr Koch reflects on the fact that the ideological rivalry between the two opposite extremist groups seems to have been duplicated into the Syrian war zones “where they can actually fight and experience war”. He recalls the concept of “cumulative extremism” described in 2006 by Roger Eatwell, Koch also indicates that right- and left-wing extremist online propaganda, including the type directed to the anarchist sphere, seems  to be insufficiently monitored and blocked by authorities. Especially in comparison to the manner the IS internet activities and online propaganda are dealt with.  Since the Syrian arena has revealed the existence of western foreign fighters linked to opposite extremist ideologies such as the right-wing “counter-Jihadists” and the left-wing “anti-fascist” groups, additional research is required to investigate the phenomenon and its potential threats. Ariel Koch’s article is a step in this direction.

Women and children still in Syria and Iraq

There are 52,808 foreigners now recorded in Syria and Iraq with the group including up to 6,902 foreign women and up to 6,577 foreign minors. The article written by J. Cook and G. Vale (2019)  “From Daesh to ‘Diaspora’ II: The Challenges Posed by Women and Minors After the Fall of the Caliphate”, gives an overview of the facts in numbers regarding foreigners in Syria and Iraq. In addition it describes the difficulties Western countries are facing when dealing with foreign terrorist fighters and their families. The article describes the reflections on increasing repatriation rates for minors, the difficulties experienced in assessing repatriation parameters, the efforts to put in place rehabilitative programmes for women and the decisions of stripping or denying citizenship to some of those who are still considered a security threat.

Child soldiers within Daesh

Child soldiers are particularly vulnerable to developing post-traumatic disorders. To provide better answers to their needs, it is crucial to unpack their role within Daesh. The chapter written by Mia Bloom (2019) “Weaponizing the Weak: The Role of Children in Terrorist Groups” as well as the article written by Asaad Almohammad (2018) “ISIS Child Soldiers in Syria: The Structural and Predatory Recruitment, Enlistment, Pre-Training Indoctrination, Training, and Deployment” are precious contributions on this topic and provide insights into the role of children within Daesh.