The Non-Jihadi Foreign Fighters: Western Right-Wing and Left-Wing Extremists in Syria

The ongoing war in Syria reflects the interesting phenomenon of foreigners flocking to the troubled region to join the combat. While foreign Jihadists joining the fighting ranks of terror organizations such as the Islamic State or Al Qaeda have attracted considerable reporting and research, the flip...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Koch, Ariel (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2021
In: Terrorism and political violence
Year: 2021, Volume: 33, Issue: 4, Pages: 669-696
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
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Keywords:
left-wing extremism
Right-wing extremism
Salafi-Jihadism
Foreign fighters
counter-Jihad
Anti-Fascism
Syria
Description
Summary:The ongoing war in Syria reflects the interesting phenomenon of foreigners flocking to the troubled region to join the combat. While foreign Jihadists joining the fighting ranks of terror organizations such as the Islamic State or Al Qaeda have attracted considerable reporting and research, the flip side of this phenomenon has gone largely unnoticed—that of the foreign anti-ISIS fighters. Although these fighters share a common enemy, adversary on the battlefield, they hold disparate personal ideologies and motives. This article will examine manifestations of foreign anti-ISIS fighters affiliated with both the far right and far left ideologies, in order to contribute to the understanding of this unfamiliar aspect of the war in Syria and its scope, as well as the potential consequences and potential threats it embodies.
ISSN:1556-1836
DOI:10.1080/09546553.2019.1581614