Western Foreign Fighters

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Not Only Syria? The Phenomenon of Foreign Fighters in a Comparative Perspective

Author : K. Rekawek
Publisher : IOS Press
ISBN 13 : 1614997578
Total Pages : 152 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (149 download)

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Book Synopsis Not Only Syria? The Phenomenon of Foreign Fighters in a Comparative Perspective by : K. Rekawek

Download or read book Not Only Syria? The Phenomenon of Foreign Fighters in a Comparative Perspective written by K. Rekawek and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2017-05-30 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The term ‘foreign fighters’ describes nationals of one state who – for whatever variety of reasons and motives – travel abroad to take part in a conflict in another state without the promise of financial reward. The majority of attention has so far been focused on the nationals of Western European states who have gone to fight for the so-called Islamic State in Syria. There exist, however, other examples of contemporary European foreign fighters whose travails, motivations and returns have been largely unnoticed and underappreciated. This books attempts to balance this state of affairs by bringing to the fore some lesser known cases of non-terrorist but foreign fighters related to the conflict in Ukraine, and situating them against the backdrop of the larger mobilization for the war in Syria. This book presents edited versions of the 12 papers presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) ‘Not Only Syria? Foreign Fighters: A Threat to NATO Allies and Their Neighbours’. The workshop was held in Chisinau, Moldova, in May 2016, and brought together researchers and experts in the field to discuss the differences, similarities and parallels between different groups of foreign fighters engaged in the conflicts in Syria and the Ukraine. The papers include contributions from the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Poland among others, and examine cases of foreign fighters from these and other countries. The book will provide an interesting context to researchers who have, up to now, looked only at a single set of such fighters, and will lead to tangible recommendations on how to develop policies to address the threat posed by returnees from any conflict.

Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters

Author : Elena Pokalova
Publisher : Palgrave Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 9783030314804
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (148 download)

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Book Synopsis Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters by : Elena Pokalova

Download or read book Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters written by Elena Pokalova and published by Palgrave Macmillan. This book was released on 2020-11-07 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the challenges foreign fighter returnees from Syria and Iraq pose to Western countries. A number of returnees have demonstrated that they are willing to use violence against their home countries, and some have already staged terrorist attacks on Western soil on apparent orders from ISIS. Through the historical context of previous waves of mobilizations of Islamist foreign fighters, the author tracks the experiences of returnees from previous conflicts and discusses the major security challenges associated with them. The book analyzes the major approaches implemented by Western countries in response to foreign fighter returnees, discusses the prosecution of returnees, and evaluates the corresponding challenges of prison radicalization.

Road Warriors

Author : Daniel Byman
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0190646527
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (96 download)

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Book Synopsis Road Warriors by : Daniel Byman

Download or read book Road Warriors written by Daniel Byman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2019-05-02 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ever since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, fighters from abroad have journeyed in ever-greater numbers to conflict zones in the Muslim world to defend Islam from-in their view-infidels and apostates. The phenomenon recently reached its apogee in Syria, where the foreign fighter population quickly became larger and more diverse than in any previous conflict. In Road Warriors, Daniel Byman provides a sweeping history of the jihadist foreign fighter movement. He begins by chronicling the movement's birth in Afghanistan, its growing pains in Bosnia and Chechnya, and its emergence as a major source of terrorism in the West in the 1990s, culminating in the 9/11 attacks. Since that bloody day, the foreign fighter movement has seen major ups and downs. It rode high after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, when the ultra-violent Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) attracted thousands of foreign fighters. AQI overreached, however, and suffered a crushing defeat. Demonstrating the resilience of the movement, however, AQI reemerged anew during the Syrian civil war as the Islamic State, attracting tens of thousands of fighters from around the world and spawning the bloody 2015 attacks in Paris among hundreds of other strikes. Although casualty rates are usually high, the survivors of Afghanistan, Syria, and other fields of jihad often became skilled professional warriors, going from one war to the next. Still others returned to their home countries, some to peaceful retirement but a deadly few to conduct terrorist attacks. Over time, both the United States and Europe have learned to adapt. Before 9/11, volunteers went to and fro to Afghanistan and other hotspots with little interference. Today, the United States and its allies have developed a global program to identify, arrest, and kill foreign fighters. Much remains to be done, however-jihadist ideas and networks are by now deeply embedded, even as groups such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State rise and fall. And as Byman makes abundantly clear, the problem is not likely to go away any time soon.

Western Foreign Fighters

Author : Phil Gurski
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9781442273801
Total Pages : 173 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (738 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Foreign Fighters by : Phil Gurski

Download or read book Western Foreign Fighters written by Phil Gurski and published by Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. This book was released on 2017 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this text, Phil Gurski examines why some people decide to abandon their homeland to join terrorist groups, and whether they pose a significant threat to their societies if they survive and return.

Foreign Fighters

Author : David Malet
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0199939454
Total Pages : 269 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (999 download)

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Book Synopsis Foreign Fighters by : David Malet

Download or read book Foreign Fighters written by David Malet and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2013-05-23 with total page 269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Foreign Fighters is the comprehensive study of foreign fighters examines patterns of recruitment using original data sets and detailed diverse case studies, and how recruiters use frames of existential threat to strengthen rebel groups.

Foreign Fighters under International Law and Beyond

Author : Andrea De Guttry
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9462650993
Total Pages : 533 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (626 download)

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Book Synopsis Foreign Fighters under International Law and Beyond by : Andrea De Guttry

Download or read book Foreign Fighters under International Law and Beyond written by Andrea De Guttry and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-02-27 with total page 533 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers various perspectives, with an international legal focus, on an important and underexplored topic, which has recently gained momentum: the issue of foreign fighters. It provides an overview of challenges, pays considerable attention to the status of foreign fighters, and addresses numerous approaches, both at the supranational and national level, on how to tackle this problem. Outstanding experts in the field – lawyers, historians and political scientists – contributed to the present volume, providing the reader with a multitude of views concerning this multifaceted phenomenon. Particular attention is paid to its implications in light of the armed conflicts currently taking place in Syria and Iraq. Andrea de Guttry is a Full Professor of International Law at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy. Francesca Capone is a Research Fellow in Public International Law at the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna. Christophe Paulussen is a Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut in The Hague, the Netherlands, and a Research Fellow at the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague.

Western Jihadism

Author : Jytte Klausen
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198870795
Total Pages : 556 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (988 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Jihadism by : Jytte Klausen

Download or read book Western Jihadism written by Jytte Klausen and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 556 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the story of how Al Qaeda grew in the West. In forensic and compelling detail, Jytte Klausen traces how Islamist revolutionaries exiled in Europe and North America in the 1990s helped create and control one of the world's most impactful terrorist movements--and how, after the near-obliteration of the organization during the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, they helped build it again. She shows how the diffusion of Islamist terrorism to Europe and North America has been driven, not by local grievances of Western Muslims, but by the strategic priorities of the international Salafi-jihadist revolutionary movement. That movement has adapted to Western repertoires of protest: agitating for armed insurrection and religious revivalism in the name of a warped version of Islam. The jihadists-Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, and their many affiliates and associates--also proved to be amazingly resilient. Again and again, the movement recovered from major setbacks. Appealing to disaffected Muslims of immigrant origin and alienated converts to Islam, Jihadist groups continue to recruit new adherents in Europe and North America, street-side in neighborhoods, in jails, and online through increasingly clandestine platforms. Taking a comparative and historical approach, deploying cutting-edge analytical tools, and drawing on her unparalleled database of up to 6,500 Western jihadist extremists and their networks, Klausen has produced the most comprehensive account yet of the origins of Western jihadism and its role in the global movement.

From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists

Author : Vera Mironova
Publisher : Causes and Consequences of Ter
ISBN 13 : 0190939753
Total Pages : 345 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (99 download)

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Book Synopsis From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists by : Vera Mironova

Download or read book From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists written by Vera Mironova and published by Causes and Consequences of Ter. This book was released on 2019 with total page 345 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: At the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, thousands of pro-democracy rebel groups spontaneously formed to fight the Assad regime. Years later, the revolution was unrecognizable as rebel opposition forces had merged into three major groups: Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al Sham, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Why did these three groups rapidly increase in size and military strength while others simply disappeared? What is it about their organizational structure and their Islamist ideology that helped group manage their fighters so successfully? With these questions at the forefront, this book examines the internal organization of armed groups and, in particular, their human resources. Analyzing the growth of these groups through the prism of a labor market theory, this book shows that extreme Islamist groups were able to attract fighters away from more moderate groups because they had better internal organization, took better care of fighters both physically and monetarily, experienced less internal corruption, and effectively used their Islamist ideology to control recruits. With unparalleled access and extensive ethnographic research drawn from her interviews and her year embedded with Iraqi Special Operation forces, Mironova delves deep into the ideological and practical nexus of some of the most radical groups in the Middle East. This book brings together more than 600 survey-interviews with local civilians and fighters on the frontline in Syria and a dataset of human resource policies from 40 armed groups; it is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants insight into the on the ground functioning of rebel organizations.

Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters

Author : Elena Pokalova
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030314782
Total Pages : 242 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (33 download)

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Book Synopsis Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters by : Elena Pokalova

Download or read book Returning Islamist Foreign Fighters written by Elena Pokalova and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-10-24 with total page 242 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines the challenges foreign fighter returnees from Syria and Iraq pose to Western countries. A number of returnees have demonstrated that they are willing to use violence against their home countries, and some have already staged terrorist attacks on Western soil on apparent orders from ISIS. Through the historical context of previous waves of mobilizations of Islamist foreign fighters, the author tracks the experiences of returnees from previous conflicts and discusses the major security challenges associated with them. The book analyzes the major approaches implemented by Western countries in response to foreign fighter returnees, discusses the prosecution of returnees, and evaluates the corresponding challenges of prison radicalization.

Western Foreign Fighters

Author : Phil Gurski
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 144227381X
Total Pages : 187 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (422 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Foreign Fighters by : Phil Gurski

Download or read book Western Foreign Fighters written by Phil Gurski and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2016-12-08 with total page 187 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A number of recent terrorist attacks were committed by young men and women who had radicalized, went to train with IS in the Middle East, then returned to their home country to commit acts of violence. In this text, Phil Gurski examines why some people decide to abandon their homeland to join terrorist groups, and whether they pose a significant threat to their societies if they survive and return. The focus is on Canadians and other Westerners who see violent Jihad as divine obligation, with the intention to challenge the view that foreign fighters are all brainwashed. The book first looks at state motivation for resorting to conflict and the nature of war, including Jihad. It then discusses why Westerners volunteered to join the military in past wars to offer points of comparison before focusing on why some are now going to Iraq and Syria to fight along groups such as Islamic State. This includes a thorough discussion of the increasing participation of women and the debates among extremists on whether they can engage in warfare. Lastly, the threat posed by radicalized fighters when they return home after either training or waging war abroad is examined in detail along with what is done to prevent and counter it. Written in an accessible manner by a reputed expert on terrorism and radicalization, the text will appeal to anyone seeking to understand why people join terrorist groups and the threats they represent to their homeland.

The Islamic State in Africa

Author : Jason Warner
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0197650309
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (976 download)

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Book Synopsis The Islamic State in Africa by : Jason Warner

Download or read book The Islamic State in Africa written by Jason Warner and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2022-04-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 2019, Islamic State lost its last remaining sliver of territory in Syria, and its Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed. These setbacks seemed to herald the Caliphate's death knell, and many now forecast its imminent demise. Yet its affiliates endure, particularly in Africa: nearly all of Islamic State's cells on the continent have reaffirmed their allegiance, attacks have continued in its name, many groups have been reinvigorated, and a new province has emerged. Why, in Africa, did the two major setbacks of 2019 have so little impact on support for Islamic State? The Islamic State in Africa suggests that this puzzle can be explained by the emergence and evolution of Islamic State's provinces in Africa, which it calls 'sovereign subordinates'. By examining the rise and development of eight Islamic State 'cells', the authors show how, having pledged allegiance to IS Central, cells evolved mostly autonomously, using the IS brand as a means for accrual of power, but, in practice, receiving relatively little if any direction or material support from central command. Given this pattern, IS Central's relative decline has had little impact on its African affiliates-who are likely to remain committed to the Caliphate's cause for the foreseeable future.

Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement

Author : Daniel Byman
Publisher : What Everyone Needs to Know(r)
ISBN 13 : 019021726X
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement by : Daniel Byman

Download or read book Al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and the Global Jihadist Movement written by Daniel Byman and published by What Everyone Needs to Know(r). This book was released on 2015 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Founded as the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan, Al Qaeda achieved a degree of international notoriety with a series of spectacular attacks in the 1990s; however, it was the dramatic assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11 that truly launched Al Qaeda onto the global stage. The attacks endowed the organization with world-historical importance and provoked an overwhelming counterattack by the United States and other western countries. Within a year of 9/11, the core of Al Qaeda had been chased out of Afghanistan and into a variety of refuges across the Muslim world. Splinter groups and franchised offshoots were active in the 2000s in countries like Pakistan, Iraq, and Yemen, but by early 2011, after more than a decade of relentless counterterrorism efforts by the United States and other Western military and intelligence services, most felt that Al Qaeda's moment had passed.

The Return of Foreign Fighters to Central Asia

Author : Thomas Lynch
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781542915311
Total Pages : 44 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (153 download)

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Book Synopsis The Return of Foreign Fighters to Central Asia by : Thomas Lynch

Download or read book The Return of Foreign Fighters to Central Asia written by Thomas Lynch and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-02-03 with total page 44 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Central Asia is the third largest point of origin for Salafi jihadist foreign fighters in the conflagration in Syria and Iraq, with more than 4,000 total fighters joining the conflict since 2012 and 2,500 reportedly arriving in the 2014-2015 timeframe alone. As the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continues to lose territory under duress from U.S.-led anti-ISIL coalition activities, some predict that many may return home bent on jihad and generating terror and instability across Central Asia. Yet several factors indicate that such an ominous foreign fighter return may not materialize. Among these factors are that a majority of Central Asians fighting for ISIL and the al-Nusra Front in Syria and Iraq are recruited while working abroad in Russia, often from low-wage jobs under poor conditions making the recruits ripe for radicalization. In addition, many of those heading for jihad in Syria and the Levant expect that they are on a "one way journey," some to martyrdom but most for a completely new life, and do not plan a return. Most Central Asian states face their greatest risk of domestic instability and violent extremism as a reaction to political repression and counterterrorism (CT) policies that counterproductively conflate political opposition and the open practice of Islam with a domestic jihadist threat. If improperly calibrated, greater U.S. CT assistance to address foreign fighter returns may strengthen illiberal regime short-term focus on political power consolidation, overplay the limited risks of foreign fighter returns, and increase the risks of domestic unrest and future instability. The United States has few means to pressure Central Asian regimes into policies that address the main drivers of domestic radicalization, such as political inclusion and religious freedom. Although an imperfect instrument, U.S. security assistance-and the specific subset of CT assistance-is a significant lever. U.S. CT assistance for Central Asia should eschew additional general lethal assistance and instead scope security attention toward border security intelligence and physical capacity enhancements. This CT aid should be paired with important, complementary socioeconomic programs that help with countering violent extremism, including greater religious and political openness along with support for the Central Asian diaspora.

Fear Thy Neighbor

Author : Lorenzo Vidino
Publisher : Ledizioni
ISBN 13 : 8867056204
Total Pages : 108 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (67 download)

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Book Synopsis Fear Thy Neighbor by : Lorenzo Vidino

Download or read book Fear Thy Neighbor written by Lorenzo Vidino and published by Ledizioni. This book was released on 2017-09-11 with total page 108 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the last three years Europe and North America have been hit by an unprecedented wave of terrorist attacks perpetrated by individuals motivated by jihadist ideology. Who are the individuals who have carried out these attacks? Were they born and raised in the West? Or were they an “imported threat”, refugees and migrants? How did they radicalize? Were they well educated and integrated, or social outcasts? Did they act alone? What were their connections to the Islamic State? The answers to these and other questions have large implications for our understanding of the threat facing us and, consequently, help us design sounder policy solutions built on empirical evidence. This study, the first of its kind, seeks to analyze the demographic profile, radicalization trajectories and connections to the Islamic State of all the individuals who have carried out attacks inspired by jihadist ideology in North America and Europe in the three years since the proclamation of the caliphate in June 2014.

Homegrown

Author : Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 0755602110
Total Pages : 248 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (556 download)

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Book Synopsis Homegrown by : Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens

Download or read book Homegrown written by Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2020-11-12 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How big is the threat posed by American ISIS supporters? How many Americans have joined ISIS and how many want to return to the United States? Compared to participation by Americans in other jihadist groups, the scale of American involvement in jihadist activity today is unprecedented. This book, from one of the leading counter-terror centres, draws on first-hand interviews with former American Islamic State members and law enforcement officials who tracked them, and includes detailed analysis of the court cases against them and their social media presence. Homegrown reveals how and why ISIS was able to radicalize and recruit a new generation of jihadist sympathizers in America.

Chechnya's Terrorist Network

Author : Elena E. Pokalova
Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN 13 : 1440831556
Total Pages : 281 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (48 download)

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Book Synopsis Chechnya's Terrorist Network by : Elena E. Pokalova

Download or read book Chechnya's Terrorist Network written by Elena E. Pokalova and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2015-02-10 with total page 281 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This expert's view into the strategic directions, tactics, leaders, and significant attacks connected to Chechen and North Caucasus terrorists examines the network's operations as well as the success of Russia's counterterrorist responses. This authoritative account traces the emergence of terrorism in the volatile region of the North Caucasus from its origins in the early 1990s through the present day. It presents a detailed examination of local and global counterterrorism strategies—everything from military force, to diplomacy, to politicization—providing valuable insight into effective methods for fighting terrorism here and around the world. This candid work uncovers the roots of Russian terrorism and provides a historical overview of the conditions that advanced terrorism and its unprecedented warfare practices, including radioactive attacks and suicide attacks by women. Author and native Russian speaker, Elena Pokalova, analyzes prominent terrorist groups such as Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade, Riyad us-Saliheyn Martyrs' Brigade, and Special Purpose Islamic Regiment, and reveals the regional and global influence of the Caucasus Emirate on the movement.

Western Foreign Fighters in Syria

Author : U. S. Military
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781549780936
Total Pages : 90 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (89 download)

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Book Synopsis Western Foreign Fighters in Syria by : U. S. Military

Download or read book Western Foreign Fighters in Syria written by U. S. Military and published by . This book was released on 2017-09-19 with total page 90 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique study examines Western foreign fighters in Syria during the Civil War through 2015. Syria has become a beacon for foreign fighters. Estimates in 2015 indicate that over 20,000 men and women have gone there to fight for various insurgent groups. This conflict is unique due to the unprecedented number of Westerners fighting. The central purpose of this study is to better understand recruitment and mobilization mechanisms as they pertain to fighters from Western nations. Why are these men and women leaving the relative safety of the West to enter a violent internecine conflict? What will happen if they decide to return home? To answer these questions, this thesis constructs 20 Western foreign fighter profiles from open source demographic, biographical, and motivational information, and then presents the findings. In particular, three variables--networks, anchoring, and group dynamics--are evaluated as critical drivers of recruitment and mobilization. The findings of this research show that traditional social networks, such as kinship, occupational, and religious groups, are most effective at recruiting and mobilizing prospective foreign fighters. Also, the data shows anchored individuals rarely mobilize. Furthermore, group dynamics appear critical to the mobilization of foreign fighters into Syria. Finally, the findings do not support social media efficacy in recruitment or mobilization.CHAPTER I * INTRODUCTION * A. MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION * B. SIGNIFICANCE * C. LITERATURE REVIEW * D. POTENTIAL EXPLANATIONS AND HYPOTHESES * E. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY * F. THESIS OVERVIEW * CHAPTER II * THE SYRIAN CIVIL WAR AND THE RISE OF FOREIGN FIGHTERS * A. THE SYRIAN CONFLICT (2011-2015) * B. FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN SYRIA AND IRAQ * 1. EMERGENCE * 2. GROWTH * 3. FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN 2015 * C. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER III * WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTERS IN SYRIA * A. INTRODUCTION * B. WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTER DATA * 1. METHODOLOGY * 2. ASSESSED VARIABLES * a. Networks * b. Anchoring * c. Group Dynamics * 3. DATA RESULTS AND ANALYSIS * a. Demographics and Biographical Data * b. Networks, Anchoring, and Group Dynamics * C. WESTERN FOREIGN FIGHTERS: EXISTING STUDIES * D. CONCLUSION * CHAPTER IV * CONCLUSION * A. INTRODUCTION * B. HYPOTHESIS EVALUATION * 1. H1: IDEOLOGY * 2. H2: TRADITIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS (TSN) * 3. H3: ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS (OSN) * 4. H4: GROUP DYNAMICS * C. IMPLICATIONS * D. FOLLOW-ON RESEARCH * LIST OF REFERENCES