OPINION
material was “low grade” and did not pose a significant security risk. While two of the three fighter jets
in the IS possession were allegedly destroyed by the
Syrian air force in October, the risk of future IS capture of jets and aircraft looms large. MiGs are already
in use, with former Iraqi pilots training ISIS members to fly the jets. As well, while US-led airstrikes on
IS militants have destroyed four tanks and damaged
another, there is danger that these will be replaced
by other equipment captured in Iraq, Syria, and
elsewhere.
However, perhaps the greatest threat is the
recruitment of foreign fighters, and the encouragement of home-grown terror. According to an October
report released by the UN, approximately fifteen
thousand foreign Jihadists from more than eighty
countries have joined the group since June, and three
thousand foreign fighters have been recruited since
September. Recruits are reached through a network
of known jihadi supporters who act as scouts, as
well as through social media. According to experts,
the majority of recruits are men who have no prior
connection to Syria and are new to Islam. The countries with some of the highest proportions of recruits
(adjusted for population size) are Belgium, Sweden,
Jordan, and Tunisia.
One of the explanations offered for high recruitment figures is that ISIS is extremely welcoming
to foreigners (as much of the leaders are foreigners themselves), and that recruitment campaigns
on social media are designed and produced by
Western members to be more appealing. Such campaigns appeal to those that feel restless or purposeless, and allow them to make a difference