Thousands of ISIS Fighters Returning to Western Countries, Including the United States

Last edited Thu Nov 2, 2017, 01:19 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Newsweek Magazine



BY JOHN HALTIWANGER ON 11/2/17 AT 11:31 AM

Thousands of the Islamic State's foreign fighters are returning to Western countries, including the United States, as the militant group's territory fades away in Iraq and Syria. This is the bittersweet byproduct of the recent victories against ISIS in places like Syria's Raqqa and Mosul, Iraq.

A recent report from the Soufan Center, based on an analysis of official numbers from 48 countries, concluded at least 2,000 former ISIS members have gone back to Western countries. It's estimated approximately 1,500 fighters have returned back to the European Union. Roughly 400 have gone back to the United Kingdom, 271 have returned to France, and about 300 are back in in Germany. Meanwhile, seven have returned to the U.S. out of the 129 Americans who joined ISIS.

Overall, 5,600 citizens or residents from 33 countries have returned home, according to the report. States are still figuring out how to respond to those who've returned. But, perhaps surprisingly, they don't seem to pose as big of a threat as some might have anticipated.

"At least initially, those who have traveled to Syria are less likely to see themselves as domestic terrorists than those IS sympathizers who have stayed at home," the Soufan Center report says. "They generally appear to have had a stronger desire to join something new rather than destroy something old. As a result, returnees have, so far, proved a more manageable problem than initially anticipated."





Read more: http://www.newsweek.com/thousands-isis-fighters-returning-western-countries-including-united-states-699658