Foreign fighters in Iraq & Syria

[davidbfpo]

One of the better press articles on why three Britons left for Syria. A complex and unpredictable mixture:http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...randeep-ramesh

A shorter Canadian report:http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/07...dists-at-home/

[Bill Moore]

Light infantry and special operators will be very familiar with these battle drills. You can critique their tactics at the margins, but overall they appear to be well trained, some of the tactics/battle drills demonstrated include man down drills, react to contact, bounding overwatch, how to execute an ambush, etc.

These are reportedly foreign fighters being trained in Syria. Apparently using our books.

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archiv...st_group_i.php

Chechen-led jihadist group in Syria releases video of training camp

A new jihadist group known as the Jamaat Ahadun Ahad, or the Group of the One and Only, has released a video of its training camp in Syria. The group is led by a Chechen commander and includes fighters from Chechnya, Europe, Turkey, Afghanistan, Pakistan and several Arab countries.

[davidbfpo]

An unclassified Danish Security Service (PET) Center for Terror Analysis has published:

...a 6-page unclassified intelligence threat assessment on the danger posed by foreign fighters currently operating in Syria with various militant groups, especially ISIS.

The report discloses that more than 100 Danes are currently believed to be fighting with these militant groups in Syria, and that 15 have been killed. The report also notes that a small but growing number of Danes are now leaving home to fight with ISIS in Iraq.

Link:https://www.pet.dk/English/Centerfor...nFINALpdf.ashx

[Bill Moore]

http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/res...d%20%20web.pdf

Be Afraid.
Be A Little Afraid:
The Threat of Terrorism from
Western Foreign Fighters in Syria
and Iraq

This paper first lays out the standard schematic view
of how and why some foreign fighters become dangerous
terrorists, drawing on the Afghanistan experience
in the 1980s to illustrate the arguments. The
second section discusses why many seasoned observers
believe the Syria conflict is likely to be particularly
dangerous. In the third section, we examine
why terrorism in Europe and the United States was
less than expected from previous jihads such as Iraq,
again drawing implications and lessons specific to
Syria, as well as examining factors unique to the Syrian
conflict itself. The fourth and final section identifies
policy implications and recommendations.

[davidbfpo]

The latest ICSR estimate:

The number of foreigners that have joined Sunni militant organizations in the Syria/Iraq conflict continues to rise. According to ICSR’s latest estimate, the total now exceeds 20,000 – of which nearly a fifth were residents or nationals of Western European countries.

Link to short document:http://icsr.info/2015/01/foreign-fig...onflict-1980s/

[davidbfpo]

I have altered the thread's title from Foreign Fighters in Syria: a crime minus a motive? to simply Foreign Fighters in Iraq & Syria.

A couple of small threads have been merged in too.

There is a parallel thread: Foreign Fighters: preventative action (UK mainly)

An older, larger thread, which I have now closed:Today's Wild Geese: Foreign Fighters in the GWOT

[davidbfpo]

A succinct Soufan Group briefing note, the keypoint IMHO is:

Both the UN and U.S. estimates find that nearly 30,000 people have traveled to Syria; the monthly rate of 1,000 remains unchanged

Link:http://soufangroup.com/tsg-intelbrie...eign-fighters/

Their argument is weakened by no mention of the recent ICSR report and nowt on those who change their mind.