MASARYK UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF SOCIAL STUDIES Department of International Relations and European Studies The Real Motivations of the ISIS Foreign Fighters Master‘s Thesis Ruben Grigoryan Supervisor: PhDr. Pavel Pšeja, Ph.D. UČO: 2770 Study Field: European Politics Year of Enrollment: 2014 Brno, 2016 I hereby declare that this thesis I submit for assessment is entirely my own work and has not been taken from the work of others save to the extent that such work has been cited and acknowledged within the text of my work. Date: 19.12.2016 Signature: Acknowledgement I hereby wish to express my appreciation and gratitude to the supervisor of my thesis PhDr. Pavel Pšeja, Ph.D., for the patient guidance, encouragement and advice he has provided during the period of working on the thesis. Table of contents Introduction ................................................................................ Chyba! Záložka není definována. Research Design ............................................................................................................................ 5 Chapter 1. The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham ..................................................................... 10 1.1 The Origin and Evolution of ISIS ................................................................................... 10 1.2 The Ideology of ISIS . ..................................................................................................... 21 1.3 ISIS Structure ............................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 2. The European Fighters ........................................................................................... 29 2.1 Who Are They? ............................................................................................................. 29 2.2 The Recruitment Process ............................................................................................. 34 2.3 The Threat of European Fighters .................................................................................. 39 2.4 The European Response ............................................................................................... 41 Chapter 3. The Real Motivations of Foreign Fighters ............................................................... 44 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 64 References ................................................................................................................................. 68 Appendices ............................................................................... Chyba! Záložka není definována. Abstract: The research paper discusses the phenomenon of foreign fighters recruited by the Islamic State, particularly the European young Muslims, who have decided to join the terrorist organization. The number of the European jihadists in Syria and Iraq and the timeline of the terrorist acts in Europe organized and implemented by the returnees attest to the fact that the security of the European states and societies is under a tremendous threat. Thus, to ascertain which strategies and approaches can be the most productive and appropriate for combatting the Islamic State and particularly preventing the citizens of European states from getting radicalized and involved in the violent extremism, there is a need to have a deeper and thorough understanding of the modus operandi of ISIS and notably the phenomenon of the European fighters. The assessment and analysis of the crucial motivating factors of the Westerners will contribute to the process of combatting the IS and averting the horrible consequences of its activities. Keywords: ISIS, Foreign Fighters, Jihad, Terrorism, Radicalization. Introduction The threat posed by the terrorists of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (particularly the returnees) is still conspicuous despite the recent noticeable territorial losses of the organization in the conflict zone; therefore, the international community is extremely concerned about the multiple hazards elicited by the activities of global jihadism. Combating the growing chaos established in the Middle East partly evoked and organized by the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda affiliates is a primary urgent task in the security agenda of the Western actors. Despite the fact that the militarization of the Syrian revolution in the year of 20111 played a crucial role in the destabilization of the region, currently ISIS is considered one of the main organizations, which poses a huge threat not only to the Middle East but also to the West. “We declare Fallujah as an Islamic state, and we call on you to be on our side! We are here to defend you from the army of Maliki and the Iranian Safavids!”2 - an ISIS fighter declared to the crowd in the city of Fallujah, Iraq, on January 3, 2014.3 After accomplishing a set of successful fights in Fallujah and in other places of Anbar Province in Iraq with the help of local Sunni tribal fighters4, ISIS militants made a dramatic step on the way of turning territories of Iraq and Syria into bloody battlefield for the chief goal of establishing a Sunni Islamic State. Gradually, ISIS fighters extended their capabilities and influence in the region by conquering new territories and recruiting new jihadists from all over the world. 1The Syrian protests against the Assad regime started in March 2011, in the city of Deraa, after the arrest of several teenagers who printed the walls of a school with revolutionary mottos. In summer of the same year, the protests turned into a nationwide anti-regime movement and soon escalated into a civil war. 2 The ISIS fighter referred in his declaration to the Prime minister of Iraq Nouri al-Maliki (Maliki is the current Vice President of Iraq) and his government at that time and the dynasty of Safavids, who ruled the present day Iran and Iraq a long time ago. 3YASIR GHAZI, TIM ARANGO. Iraq Fighters, Qaeda Allies, Claim Falluja as New State. Jan. 3 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/04/world/middleeast/fighting-in-falluja-and-ramadi.html. 4 Patrick Cockburn. The battle for Fallujah: Fighting returns to Iraqi city as al-Qa’ida-linked rebels gain stronghold. May 18 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/the-battle-for-fallujah-fighting-returns-to- iraqi-city-as-al-qa-ida-linked-rebels-gain-stronghold-9392741.html. 1 On June 29, 2014, the Islamic State declared about establishment of the Islamic Caliphate and its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was announced caliph5. The declaration of the caliphate was followed by statements, in which ISIS members claimed that the Muslims all over the world had to swear allegiance to their leader and new caliph al-Baghdadi. The proclamation of "caliphate" could be also considered as a proclamation of "war against the West and Al-Qaeda", as by this step ISIS demonstrated that it assumed the legitimate role of leading the jihadi movement and every other actor or organization that would not join them in this war would be regarded as an enemy. Such an announcement also demonstrated the true political vision of ISIS, and the establishment of political-religious state with its appropriate structure and governance proved to be a successful and productive option to carry out worldwide recruitment and continue military conquest of territories and resources. The reestablishment of an "Islamic caliphate" has been the primary aspiration and goal of the majority of jihadi terrorists in the world, therefore, the Islamic traditional political-religious type of state continues to attract more and more Muslim militants from different regions and states including those acting and fighting under the flag of other terrorist groups and organizations6. The Islamic State is a well-developed bureaucratic organization, which has permanent sufficient incomes to finance and sustain its infrastructure of internal governance and organizational missions, which are planned and carried out within or outside the territories controlled by ISIS7. It is considered to be the wealthiest terrorist organization in the world and as it was estimated in the statement of the UN General Secretary Ban Ki- Moon on February 4, 2016, in London, ISIS gained $400-$500 million income from oil and oil products only in 20158. 5Al Jazeera and agencies. Sunni rebels declare new 'Islamic caliphate'. 30 June. 2014. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/isil-declares-new-islamic-caliphate- 201462917326669749.html. 6Barak Mendelsohn. The Al-Qaeda Franchise: The Expansion of Al-Qaeda and Its Consequences. Oxford University Press 2016. New York. Page 190. 7 Charles Lister. Profiling the Islamic State. Brookings Doha Center Analysis Paper. November 2014. Doha. Page 2. 8NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. ISIS 'an unprecedented threat', wealthiest terrorist group in the world, says U.N. Secretary-General. Saturday, February 6, 2016. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/isis-world-wealthiest- terrorist-organization-u-n-article-1.2522284. 2 Due to the territorial, cadre and resource losses and damages that ISIS has experienced during 20169, day by day, the number of the returning European fighters recruited by the Islamic State to battle in Syria and Iraq is increasing and this fact is an extremely urgent security issue especially for the Western European governments as the ever-growing jihadi threat is directed particularly to the Western states and societies. According to the statistics of December