Fearing the soaring numbers of would-be ISIS recruits flocking to Iraq and Syria, European Union nations have imposed harsh travel restrictions on anyone suspected of going to join them.
That’s shifted ISIS recruitment bases from Western Europe to Central Asia, but it isn’t solving Europe’s problem. Just because the jihadist fighters are staying home doesn’t mean they’re not jihadist fighters.
Indeed, while the bulk of ISIS fighters from Europe remain abroad, hundreds have returned, and they’re recruiting in force. If they’re not able to send those recruits abroad to fight for ISIS, they’re likely to just fight at home.
Given how much the European Union has struggled with keeping tabs on returnees and people traveling abroad, the blanket travel bans are also likely hitting a lot of innocent people, adding to unrest among their Muslim populations, and giving the ISIS returnees an even bigger pool to draw from.
The EU may find it was better off letting people go to fight for ISIS, as many of them may not return at all, either being killed in the war over there or deciding to stay in positions within the caliphate. Leaving all those jihadis stranded in Europe just increases the likelihood of home grown attacks.
Terrorism — Good for the economy and the highest profit surely
So, just look at how immune to terrorist attacks has been all of Western Europe and USA, in comparison to our massive bombings and brutal imperialism throughout all of the Middle-East. And I’m sure the corporate rich are overjoyed with the relative safety they experience in pursuing the best money maker known to man, trading war materials for Middle-East oil.
One would think that the EU governments would want to have their home grown "jihadist fighters" out of the country rather than caught within their borders…one would think. If the EU (and their US masters) were confident in their abilities to defeat ISIS, wouldn't they want most of the "jihadist fighters" all in one place where they can eradicate them without destroying their own cities?
Good point. That would go along with the mantra of "fighting them THERE so 'we' don't have to fight them HERE." Prohibiting jihadis from leaving the country seemingly makes the latter more likely, unless of course there is some great new conventional wisdom that I missed.
Please, mentioning "wisdom" and governments and their knee-jerk policies in the same sentence is…well…it's just wrong….just wrong.
How about those who are going to fight for the other side,or those European and Americans joining IDF?