Radicals recruited to be terrorists in foreign lands were the topic of a hearing planned by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission.

    “The UN Security Council recently estimated that there are now over 25,000 foreign terrorist fighters from over 100 countries who have travelled internationally, mainly to Syria and Iraq, to join or fight for terrorist entities associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, and Al-Qaida,” said Smith. “How can our government, working with others and with organizations like the OSCE, prevent these terror-minded men and women from volunteering and traveling to the Middle East – equally important, how can we prevent their return home? One of the gravest dangers faced today by dozens of countries is that returning foreign fighters will bring with them jihad and murder.” Click here to read Chairman Smith’s opening remarks.

    The hearing was entitled “Wanted: Foreign Fighters – The Escalating Threat of ISIL in Central Asia.”

    Over the past several years, Central Asia has become an increasing source of foreign fighters for radical militant groups operating in the Middle East. According to data from the U.S. Counter-Terrorism Center, the Islamic State (ISIL) has already recruited hundreds of men from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and more than 1,000 men from Kazakhstan. 
 
    Extremist groups like ISIL actively target vulnerable young men, including unemployed guest workers facing deportation from Russia, with promises of generous salaries and support for fighters’ families. These alluring and aggressive recruiting tactics, along with declining economic prospects and repressive measures imposed by regional governments, pose serious threats to peace and security in Central Asia. The hearing provided an opportunity to assess the growing influence of extremist militant groups in the region, and to explore how the United States can continue supporting efforts in Central Asia aimed at countering violent extremism and preventing the flow of foreign fighters to ISIL and other radical organizations.
 
     Witnesses included: Daniel N. Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Central Asia, U.S. Department of State; Frank J. Cilluffo, Associate Vice President & Director, Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, The George Washington University, and Jennifer Leonard, Deputy Director, International Crisis Group.  Click here to learn more about CSCE or the hearing  or click here to watch or image below to view video of the hearing (advance one hour to the start of the hearing.

      “The nations of Central Asia, and the nations of the world, are waking up to the challenge of foreign terrorist fighters in Syria and Iraq,” said Daniel N. Rosenblum, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia. “The United States plans to continue to work with global institutions, regional groups, and national governments to confront the challenge of foreign fighters and reduce the threat to our partners, allies, and to our own country…the Department of State is eager to work closely with this Commission and others in Congress to address this generational challenge.”

    Frank J. Cilluffo, director of the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at the George Washington University, noted, “The ideology and narrative of violent Islamist extremist movements and groups continues to resonate with and successfully recruit individuals who are susceptible to such propaganda...Pushing back on this narrative in order to expose its inherent inconsistencies and falsehoods must therefore be a crucial plank in both national and transnational strategy.”

    “We must maximize the intelligence that US officials and their counterparts in allied nations possess in order to best formulate and execute the measures that will keep foreign fighters’ plans left of boom,” Cilluffo continued. “The United States should work with the countries of Central Asia to assist them in building the capacities that are necessary for them to be their own best guardians. For instance, more could be done in the area of border security.”

    Deputy Director of the International Crisis Group Jennifer Leonard said, “[Central Asian] governments must assess accurately the long-term danger jihadism poses to the region and take effective preventive action now…addressing multiple political and administrative failures, responding to an unmet demand for increased democratic space, revising discriminatory laws and policies, implementing outreach programs for men and women, creating jobs at home for disadvantaged youths, ensuring better coordination between security services, and police reform.”

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