AdnKronos – Foreign fighters, a story ancient. The use of foreign fighters is a practice that has its origins in ancient Egypt, when Rameses II made use of mercenaries shardana, from Sardinia, to fight enemies Hittites in the thirteenth century BC
The mercenaries they then found employment in all the wars fought by humans, although in different countries such activity is formally illegal. A discussion of this phenomenon, more topical than ever for the emergency terrorism, is hosted on the new issue of Gnosis, the Italian Intelligence Magazine.
“In the last decade – one reads in the periodical of ‘Italian Intelligence – the rise of private military companies has undergone exponential growth, largely due to the conflicts in the Middle Eastern context. The employment of these fighters usually involves a significant outlay of money by those who hire them.
The Isis is instead managed to create a recruiting methodology based on instincts and ideological motivation.
It is the Recruitment 3.0 – if mix social media, persuasion techniques on the net and online propaganda – which causes the foreign fighters to abandon the family, work, friends and country of origin to join the jihadist fighters files. “
” Frank Capra, known Hollywood director, in 1941 he was commissioned to create a series of propaganda films to encourage the war effort of the United States in World war II.
Goat -remember Antonio Teti of Gnosis- had viewed the film Triumph of the Will, Leni Riefenstahl – the German director beloved by Hitler and passed into history for scoring the which was defined as the best propaganda film ever made military recruitment – and had judged ‘hypnotic, pointing out that, without firing a shot gun and without detonating any bomb, the psychological power can be an instrument capable of destroying the will of man to resist and thus prove as deadly as a weapon ‘. “
” Inspired by this achievement, the US director shot several movies propaganda, adding the reckless madness of the Nazi dream. In other words, he transformed the Third Reich message into a representation of the folly of the enemy, praising the rightness of the war against Germany. ‘Let them kill their own films …’ repeated during assembly of the film.
in 75 years, “the same route was initially adopted, and rudimentarily, by Al Qaeda that has managed to spread worldwide the phenomenon of Jihad and subsequently by ISIS that has elevated digital technologies a tool of struggle and psychological conditioning. “
Bin Laden” was the first strong supporter and promoter of the so-called asymmetric warfare, based on the use of different resources, including the Internet. The new form of conduct propaganda of Al Qaeda was based mainly on footage of Bin Laden, framed by a fixed camera, chanted proclamations strictly rhetorical and formal Arabic. Rare -remember Gnosis- were ripreseesterne and movies almost never appeared other people. The videos were then made to arrive at Al Jazeera. “
With Anwar Al-Awlaki, the native religion American killed in Yemen in 2011 during an attack by a drone, the Islamic extremist propaganda “has undergone a substantial distortion. He, in fact, it changed the structure of the press and contributed to the production of the magazine in English about Islam and Jihad: ‘Inspire’.
The Isis, then, has resorted to greater use applications accessible in cyberspace. “
” Thousands of Twitter accounts created to spread messages in seven languages, video production of high technical quality and persuasive constantly placed on YouTube, countless profiles activated on Facebook, blocked by the operator and reactivated after a few hours with different identities, use of shared writing services like Just Paste to spread the summaries of battles fought and SoundCloud to release audio reports.
Without consider using Instagram for image sharing, instant messaging Telegram and ProtonMail to forward e-mail messages encrypted. In short, detects periodic Intelligence, “a panoply of virtual instruments capable of conducting a global cyberwar with devastating effects.
In January 2015, it discovers that the technical cyber Caliphate have made even an app Android platforms dedicated to messaging. It’s called App Alrawi and represents the first rudimentary attempt to produce an application like Telegram encrypted messaging, developed to facilitate the confidentiality of communications aimed at recruiting new
The number of foreign fighters” it is constantly increasing. According to a 2014 report, prepared at the International Centre for the Study of radicalization and Political Violence (ICSR), the number of Islamic fighters from Europe, in 2013, was between 5,000 and 11,000 units.
The ICSR also estimated that about one fifth (18%) of foreign fighters operating in Syria came from Western Europe. ” In the last quarter of 2014, estimates produced by intelligence sources “were calculated at around 15,000 foreign fighters nell’Isis, including 2,000 Westerners.
The 6% of these, from the EU, have converted to Islam, many Muslim immigrants of second or third generation, and very few of Syrian origin. 18% are women, the average age is between 18 and 29 years old and many of the western recruited have a good level of acculturation, discreet is the number of graduates and the economic condition of families is generally good. “
it is clear, therefore, “that the project of universal Caliphate attracts the young, although the average age of the French fighters is 27 years, while that of Belgian and British is 24.”
According to one estimate reported by US sources in late 2015, would amount to rather more than 30,000 foreigners from more than 100 countries, which have swelled the Daesh files in 2014.
“of these, more than 4,500 are from Western countries (250 Americans, 750 British and 1,800 French), which must be added about 2,400 Russian citizens and at least 3,000 came from central Asia.
in Italy, it would be concerned over ninety those who have left for the holy war and, among these, more than twenty have already died in combat. “
” although the presence of foreign fighters within the Middle East is not new – just think of the influx of rebels during the war waged by the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1980 or the participation of foreign fighters in the Russian-Chechen conflict in 1995 – it must be said that the conflict in Syria and Iraq has generated a mobilization unprecedented “, notes Gnosis.
what sets of foreign fighters” recruitment system is the ideological aspect. The aspiring fighters have a modest or no knowledge of the diversity of jihadist groups. A preliminary indoctrination is carried on sympathizers, thanks to social networks, before they undertake the journey.
Through the transmission of videos posted on YouTube, of images and reports on the fighting sent by Twitter, recruiters strive to understand the real reasons behind the new members to join the cause, trying to convey any aspiring fighter at the most appropriate group. “
“on motivational aspects – we read in the journal Intelligence – affect the strong influences of the media type to which they are subjected. An example is Ibrahim Al-Mazwagi, the first jihadist Briton to be killed in 2013, during the Syrian conflict.
Well-off model and university student, in one of the videos placed on the network claimed that the family had argued in the decision to join the opposition forces to Assad government. “
Can not define a standard profile for the foreign fighters,” because it is the heterogeneity that characterizes them.
Some believe in the dream of the universal caliphate, others perceive the opportunity to be protagonists of a project can enhance them or live the choice as a rite of passage for a better life , without excluding those who take up arms for reasons of boredom, of generational tensions and family conditioning, money, revenge, desire for adventure. “
The media outcry sparked by accusations from Western governments about the abuses carried out by the Assad regime “has given rise to movements of opinion which strongly impacted on increasing the number of foreign fighters.
a role of particular importance in proselytizing and recruitment is done by so-called communicators, inserted in the social circles of the European countries and in the Muslim communities of the world.”
the latter “have the task of recruiting new fighters locally; in this role, are also active women such as Hayat Boumediene, the companion Amedy Coulibaly, one of the protagonists of the massacre of kosher store in Paris.
She escaped to Syria, it is still very much engaged in the propaganda and recruitment of European Muslims “.
” The worst form of indoctrination extremism, defined the term homegrown, aims to create, place of residence, an area of consensus for radical jihad but, above all, invisible and finalized inciting struggle of the individual.
According to a dell’Icsr sampling, approximately 61.4% of the trained fighters by recruiters would be merged nell’Isis; 17.5% in the group Jabhat al-Nusrah, operating in Syria and Lebanon; 2% affiliated with the Free Syrian Army.
The remaining 20% would be distributed on several jihadist militias. 23.4% of the recruited would come from the UK, 14% from France, 12.3% from Germany, 8.8% in Sweden, 7% from the Netherlands and 5.3% in Belgium. Western Europe would not 7%. “
” Even the foreign fighters of the training methods are different: those from Asia central – Chechens among the first – are prepared and tested especially on the battlefield.
in contrast, the original ones are inexperienced Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries, although after the formation to – by virtue of the high psychological motivation – demonstrated excellent fighting skills.
the native Syrian and Iraqi reveal strong anti-Shia attitudes, an aspect that can create many problems, as the Jihad war that can not afford sectarian “conflicts.
the Western fighters, in contrast,” have motivations that are not affected by religious diversity, but which they are essentially based on personal stories. These are the ones that can contribute to the pursuit of the establishment of the Islamic state. “
The local recruits, with a strong religious orientation,” pursue goals due to limited scenarios. Such differences may arise ISIS internal splits, as happened with Al Qaeda in Iraq that has never managed to create a strong bond between lediverse cultures of the fighting groups. “
However,” thanks largely to the virtual proselytizing however, that is consumed the real recruitment of foreign fighters. Al Hayat media site, for example, alternates numerous video that shows how the cold and violent face of Jihad in images that celebrate the serenity of life in the territories governed by ISIS. “
In all movies, Gnosis points out, “there are persuasive elements. It focuses on the theme of justice and legitimacy of the Islamic State, the comments are translated into several languages, the background music is selected according to the images and in tune with Western youth culture.
emphasizes, primarily, the importance of the ideological call to action, highlighting the misdeeds of the enemy offset by good deeds of the Islamic state. ” The best route for those who want to reach the territories controlled by ISIS is what passes for Turkey due to the ease of obtaining a visa, issued on arrival in the country.
an example is the influx of foreign fighters from Malaysia until a few months ago, many aspiring fighters, starting from Kuala Lumpur international airport, the airport is served by Ankara and then on to Syria. A febbraio2015, were arrested 51 Malaysians, departing for Turkey, suspected of being Isis militants.
A separate consideration, detects periodic Italian intelligence, “deserves the Balkan region that embodies the role of transitpoint for European foreign fighters. According to research conducted by the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point in 2012 would be between 200 e600 fighters Balkan nationalities converged in Syria “. In 2015 “has since been an increase in departures of Islamic fighters from the United States.
An example is that of the State Minnesota where, last year, more than 20 young people have left for Somalia to join al-Shabab. “
for security reasons, the new recruits of the Jihad” are blended into groups it combines native and foreign fighters.
it is a very effective method, which has allowed the identification of subjects with special character and psychological problems but, also, to detect any special skills or expertise. In the case of spies, they adopt other techniques: the recruits suspected of espionage, for example, are asked to commit egregious acts such as rapes and beheadings. “
also in combat” foreign and native ones militias are used differently.
on the field battle of the foreign fighters from central Asia are used for the first strike action, while local Arab forces to guard the occupied positions.
He says, therefore, as the losses of foreign fighters are relevant.
their use is also valuable for suicide operations. In such circumstances are also used on the recruits plus administrative suspicions and dislikes or who were less fit for combat. “
then there is the aspect of” disillusionment among the foreign fighters, many of them strive to take the way back to their countries of origin.
of course, the flight is not covered and the punishment for those suspected of wanting to leave the field is the prison or death. According to a Lebanese newspaper, from September 2014 to February 2015, they were killed more than 120 foreign fighters, caught in an attempt to return home “.
The Western foreign fighters” receive basic military training and few are granted advanced training. The reasons for the reduced training are manifold. First, many Western foreign fighters do not speak Arabic and are therefore treated with natural suspicion by the locals. “
second , “they are often classified unnecessary for the inexperience in combat; Also for these reasons, foreign fighters are often used for suicide missions in countries of origin, to video recordings of executions of hostages for guerrilla warfare and so on. “
The foreign fighters have also assumed the role of communicators officers of the internationalization of the cause of the Caliphate, “because they provide a significant contribution to the linguistic knowledge of Western countries, valuable item – reads deepening of Gnosis – for the organization of terrorist acts and the propaganda activities.
they are thus given the opportunity to communicate with family members left behind and to describe the daily living conditions; But the messages are controlled to always contain positive news: confirmations on the rightness of the choice made, and on the certainty of the final victory. “
To acquire realistic movies, for propaganda, carried on the fighting “is permitted to use video cameras / GoPro cameras, small size and weight, thanks to the use of which the foreign fighters produce movies of extraordinary resemblance with video games for kids: a terrifying analogy produces a psychologically addictive effect, especially on so-called digital natives.
it is an immersive technique that leads to confuse the young minds and to familiarize the brutality of war, even to the point of presenting them fascinating “.L’Isis, from a military point of view, then it introduced a “new model of recruiting fighters: the one online. We are far from the famous manifesto of 1917 Uncle Sam, pointing the finger at those who watched, it seemed really utter the famous phrase ‘I want you’.
Today, technology has taken a leading role on everything that represents our way of thinking, acting, to relate and even to shape our own growth. “
leadership of the Islamic State “has understood this and has acquired techniques and methods of use.
in addition, contrary to the majority of non-military revolutionary organizations, the Isis uses conventional warfare tactics to control and preserve the land busy. Its strategy is based on urban warfare conducted at the global level (still mistakenly labeled as ‘terrorist attacks’), which aims psychological weakening of enemy populations considered. On the contrary, on the battlefield, Daesh adopting military tactics and strategy. “
its summits in fact, “well aware that to achieve the establishment of the Islamic state is essential to conduct actions that tend to territorial expansion.
in order to achieve this objective is essential -adds Gnosis- the increase of foreign fighters and fighters that make up, then, an amazing resource. “
Thanks to social media and the linguistic and technological talent of cyber Caliphate, the online recruitment is producing” significant results.
guerrilla actions by jihadists around the world have the effect of improving the result and the very credibility of the organization.
If it is true that foreign fighters are assigned the most dangerous tasks, it is equally true that, to a large extent, this is exactly the role that they want to settle. ” For foreign fighters “the worst case, concluded the Italian magazine Intelligence- would be to be left out of the fight.
And although there are still conflicts between natives and foreigners, the ideological motivation and adventurous universal Caliphate is an element of tremendous cohesion that unites the interests of all parties involved. “
Photo: AFP and Islamic State
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