Now that Islamic State (IS) has lost much of its territory in Iraq and Syria, Western countries—and Western Europe especially—are seeing the beginning of the return of thousands of their citizens who had gone to the Middle East to fight for the caliphate. Robin Simcox urges governments not to be forgiving to these IS alumni:
Western governments should have no trouble figuring out what to do with citizens who have hacked off the heads of aid workers, committed mass rapes, pushed gay people off buildings, or tried to erase the presence of religious minorities. Killing them on the battlefield is one option. If they are captured, legally detaining them is another. And if these fighters do make it home, their home countries should prosecute them. . . . What should not be an option is to treat the returning terrorists with ever-greater levels of tolerance. Yet that is the option a number of Europeans advocate.
Take Denmark. Its much-vaunted “Aarhus model” sees returnees from Syria essentially welcomed back without censure. Danish authorities treat returning fighters as naïve youths. They may be offered public housing and counseling to help them readjust to life back in Denmark. . . .
It would be a grave mistake to forget that IS and its supporters have brought bloodshed around the world, subjugating Iraqis and Syrians and slaughtering innocents in New York, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, and countless other cities. . . . The convergence of foreign fighters that occurred in Syria was highly destructive—and nothing new. That phenomenon is fast becoming the norm. To varying degrees, it also occurred in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. European governments did not prosecute such travelers, so it will doubtless happen again—unless Western governments crack down on citizens who have joined terrorist groups.
Read more on Washington Times: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/19/isis-fighters-home-countries-need-deterrence-not-t/