(TLR) No. 68
22 August 2008
Contents
Article 1 “Foreign Fighters: How Are They Being Recruited? Two Imperfect Recruitment Models,” by Clinton Watts, Small Wars Journal Blog, 22 June 2008. Currently, debate focuses on two models of foreign fighter recruitment and transit to theaters of open conflict.
The first model is one of top-down recruitment where Al-Qaeda (AQ) recruits young men and coordinates their travel to an operational theater.
The second model suggests the opposite where young men recruit themselves and find their way to open theaters of conflict joining a global jihadi movement inspired but not necessarily led by AQ.
In fact, neither of these models adequately illustrates modern jihadi recruitment patterns in the Middle East and North Africa.
First, the models assign too much importance to the Internet in the Middle East and North Africa; second, Al-Qaeda globally or locally does not have sufficient operational space, communication, and logistical support to execute large-scale, top-down recruitment; and third, both of these models ignore the key role played by veteran foreign fighters, who are extremely effective radicalizers, recruiters, and coordinators.
to read the full terrorism report, which includes the financial aspects of Shariah, go to this link…..
