A Theory of Terrorist Group Recruitment 'Hubs' - Case Study of the ISIS Foreign Fighter Mobilisation

A Theory of Terrorist Group Recruitment 'Hubs' - Case Study of the ISIS Foreign Fighter Mobilisation

The ISIS foreign fighter mobilisation was one of the largest in recorded history (Malet, 2015). The United Nations found that over 40,000 foreign fighters joined ISIS from approximately 110 countries. In previous research, I found that these fighters were not recruited evenly across the regions of their home countries (Rosenblatt, 2016). Rather, large numbers of fighters came from a small number of neighbourhoods, towns or regions. In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), I estimate that 75% of ISIS foreign fighters came from areas that comprised less than 15% of the MENA population. That so many fighters came from specific "hubs" forms the paradox of my research: why do hubs form? What distinguishes hubs from other places from which there were far fewer foreign fighters? This presentation will rely on statistical analysis and…