Subscribe 

Why westerners are fighting for ISIS

A growing number of Westerners are joining the Islamist militant group—but why? The Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) is gaining notoriety for its barbaric methods, after videos showing beheadings and mass killings surfaced online. Meanwhile, the group has been attracting an increasing number of foreign fighters coming from the West, analysts say. […]

Francesca Trianni writes for Time:

A growing number of Westerners are joining the Islamist militant group—but why? The Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) is gaining notoriety for its barbaric methods, after videos showing beheadings and mass killings surfaced online. Meanwhile, the group has been attracting an increasing number of foreign fighters coming from the West, analysts say. But why are so many foreigners joining ISIS’ fighting ranks? Among a range of explanations, one of them is that, compared to other jihadist groups like al-Qaeda, ISIS is extremely welcoming to foreigners, said Joshua Landis, a Syria specialist at the University of Oklahoma.