From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists: Human Resources of Non-State Armed Groups (Causes and Consequences of Terrorism)

This book examines the internal organization of armed groups, particularly their human resource practices. The authors look at the rebel armed groups through the prism of a labor market theory. In the Syrian civil war, extreme Islamist groups were able to siphon fighters off from moderate groups because they had better internal organization, took better care of fighters (physically and monetarily), and experienced less internal corruption. This book is based on more than six hundred survey-interviews with local civilians and fighters on the frontline in Syria (including members of al-Nusra and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant [ISIS]) and a dataset of human resource policies from forty armed groups based on qualitative interviews with group leaders. In addition, active and former foreign fighters with ISIS and Jubhat al-Nusra were interviewed in Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Central Asia (where many former ISIS foreign fighters were hiding). In search of deeper answers on ideological issues, the author also penetrated an ultra-radical sect of former ISIS fighters known as chain __takfiris__ who had abandoned ISIS because its ideology was not religiously radical enough. The author interviewed members of this extreme sect and studied their books, lectures, forums, and closed channels on social media. The author also conducted extensive ethnographic research in 2016 and 2017 while embedded with Iraqi Special Operations Forces during the Mosul operation. This allowed her to observe the behavior of ISIS members in the field and collect valuable information from the group’s internal documentation and from fighters’ personal notebooks. "At the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, thousands of pro-democracy rebel groups spontaneously formed to fight the Assad regime. Years later, the revolution was unrecognizable as rebel opposition forces had merged into three major groups: Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al Sham, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Why did these three groups rapidly increase in size and military strength while others simply disappeared? What is it about their organizational structure and their Islamist ideology that helped group manage their fighters so successfully? With these questions at the forefront, this book examines the internal organization of armed groups and, in particular, their human resources. Analyzing the growth of these groups through the prism of a labor market theory, this book shows that extreme Islamist groups were able to attract fighters away from more moderate groups because they had better internal organization, took better care of fighters both physically and monetarily, experienced less internal corruption, and effectively used their Islamist ideology to control recruits. With unparalleled access and extensive ethnographic research drawn from her interviews and her year embedded with Iraqi Special Operation forces, Mironova delves deep into the ideological and practical nexus of some of the most radical groups in the Middle East. This book brings together more than 600 survey-interviews with local civilians and fighters on the frontline in Syria and a dataset of human resource policies from 40 armed groups; it is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants insight into the on the ground functioning of rebel organizations" -- University Press Scholarship Online " At the start of the Syrian conflict in 2011, thousands of pro-democracy rebel groups spontaneously formed to fight the Assad regime. Years later, the revolution was unrecognizable as rebel opposition forces had merged into three major groups: Jabhat al-Nusra, Ahrar al Sham, and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Why did these three groups rapidly increase in size and military strength while others simply disappeared? What is it about their organizational structure and their Islamist ideology that helped group manage their fighters so successfully? With these questions at the forefront, this book examines the internal organization of armed groups and, in particular, their human resources. Analyzing the growth of these groups through the prism of a labor market theory, this book shows that extreme Islamist groups were able to attract fighters away from more moderate groups because they had better internal organization, took better care of fighters both physically and monetarily, experienced less internal corruption, and effectively used their Islamist ideology to control recruits. With unparalleled access and extensive ethnographic research drawn from her interviews and her year embedded with Iraqi Special Operation forces, Mironova delves deep into the ideological and practical nexus of some of the most radical groups in the Middle East. This book brings together more than 600 survey-interviews with local civilians and fighters on the frontline in Syria and a dataset of human resource policies from 40 armed groups; it is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants insight into the on the ground functioning of rebel organizations. "-- Provided by publisher Cover Series From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists Copyright Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Armed Groups Human Resource Manual 2. Leaving, Staying, Fighting 3. Finding a Group That Fits 4. Making a Rebel Group Work 5. Help from Abroad 6. Handling Foreign Fighters 7. Handling Ultra-​Radicals 8. Managing Ideology 9. Funding the Fight 10. Rebel CEOs and Managers 11. Policy Implications Other Conflicts and Ideologies Index 'From Freedom Fighters to Jihadists' examines the internal organization of armed groups, particularly their human resource practices. The author looks at the rebel armed groups through the prism of a labour market theory