The Syrian Conflict Could Impact Terrorism for Decades

The Syrian Conflict Could Impact Terrorism for Decades

Illustration photo (123rf)

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Illustration photo (123rf)
Illustration photo (123rf)

The conflict in Syria will likely have consequences for international terrorism for decades to come, Brian Michael Jenkins of the Rand Corp. said during a House hearing. This according to Fierce Homeland security. Jenkins, a terrorism expert and senior adviser to Rand’s president, said that Syria has provided al Qaeda a chance to establish a strong new base in the Middle East and bring in new recruits.

Speaking before a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee, he said the Syrian conflict has already attracted thousands of foreign fighters, including an estimated 500 from Western countries. He predicted that the number of foreign fighters would continue to rise, and that those who return to their home countries could pose a terrorist threat there.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

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For the immediate future, the conflict in Syria is unlikely to generate a threat in the West. “The flow right now of recruits is toward Syria, not the other way,” he said. But with no end in sight for the conflict, the effects of foreign fighters gaining contacts and experience with terrorist groups is likely to endure.

“One way or another,” Jenkins said, “we’ll be dealing with the effluent of Syria’s conflict for decades.” He said that after years of brutal attacks, neither side expects to survive in a regime dominated by the other side, which is likely to prolong the conflict. It’s possible that the sides will separate into de facto partitions that are relatively stable, but even then, Jenkins said, conflict could persist on the borders of the regional enclaves.