Stepanova E. ISIS and the Phenomenon of Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Syria and Iraq. – Moscow, IMEMO, 2020. – 198 р.

The book explores the interrelationship between ISIS and the flows of tens of thousands of foreign terrorist fighters to Syria and Iraq in the context of the ISIS’s role and place in the broader “global jihad” movement. It assesses main quantitative and qualitative parameters of the FTF phenomenon in Syria and Iraq, analyses the origins and drivers of this FTF wave, highlights its specifics as compared to previous jihadist mobilizations, and shows key trends in its evolution and transformation at the stage of the formation and rise of ISIS, during its decline, and following the demise of its territorial core. The book is the first one in Russia to present a comparative analysis of FTF flows from all three main regions of their origin – Middle East, Europe and Eurasia. Special attention is paid to the specifics of threats and challenges posed by the FTF phenomenon in Syria and Iraq to Russia and Eurasia and to Russia’s approaches to the FTF problem. For security experts and practitioners, conflict and international affairs analysts.