Western Jihadists Abandoning ISIS Ranks in Droves

The French news agency reported from informed sources that heavy military strikes against the ISIS group in Syria and Iraq have scattered Western jihadists who joined the group’s ranks, forcing many of them to return to their home countries. The French news agency emphasized that these returns have become an important issue for counter-terrorism services in Western countries.

Over recent months and weeks, the “Islamic State” group has been the target of intense attacks by fighter-bombers from Western countries and Russia, to the extent that the group is unable to prevent the departure of some thousands of its foreign fighters from Syria and Iraq.
According to research by the “Royal College of London,” the motivations of foreign fighters leaving ISIS ranks in Syria and Iraq vary, including fear of airstrikes, disillusionment, corruption of local ISIS leaders, and harassment of Sunni Muslims by the group…

According to research by the “Royal College of London,” jihadists who are currently leaving ISIS ranks in Syria and Iraq have not become staunch supporters of Western democracies. Some of them have committed crimes.
Some jihadists who have returned to Western countries say that the Islamic State is more focused on fighting other Muslims than confronting Bashar al-Assad’s regime, in addition to the fact that life under ISIS control is very difficult and hopeless. One of them told a “London Industrial College” researcher that the ISIS group sometimes destroys an entire building along with women and children inside it to eliminate one person.

“Didier Lebvre,” the national intelligence coordinator in France, told his country’s news agency: “Western jihadists feel that the final stage has begun, and many of them are sending messages wanting to know how they can return to their country.” The same source added that in the view of these individuals, the period of major victories of the self-proclaimed caliphate of the Islamic State has ended, and many of those trying to secretly leave ISIS ranks are being killed.

“Patrick Calver,” director general of France’s internal security organization, said in a speech in mid-May of last year to the national assembly of his country: “244 jihadists from Syria and Iraq have returned to France, and we are witnessing the increasing departure of these individuals from ISIS ranks. However, many of them, as soon as they declare their intention to leave Syria and Iraq, are considered by the ISIS group as traitors deserving of execution.”

Source: RFI