Western countries are making concerted efforts to bar foreigners from joining militants in Syria and Iraq. However, some volunteers manage to reach the battle line and get into terrorist operations.
An official from the US intelligence says that at least 6,000 of those 34,000 foreign fighters are Westerners. These numbers show a small increase since October 2015.
Several factors account for successful recruitment of foreigners. Young people are drawn to jihad, or Islamic holy war. There is also evidence that the jihad message continues to appeal to European young men and women. Most foreign fighters arrived in the combat zone after the Islamic State had seized Mosul in June 2014.
"As long as people are willing to go there, they can get there. We overestimated our ability to disrupt moves of militants," noted Patrick Skinner, a security expert at the Soufan Group. US Defense officials have got hard evidence that the Islamic State is brainwashing people into joining its army. The terrorist group accepts newcomers on a regular basis keeping the overall personnel at 20,000-30,000 soldiers.
Unfortunately, more and more foreigners, including Americans, are ready to deploy in the combat zone. They are facing a problem of how to get there. That is why all departing people have to go through a tough control.
US anti-terrorist agencies express fears that Russia’s involvement in the conflict in support of Syria’s President Bashar Assad could inspire even more people to join IGIL fighters.
Economic inequality remains one of the most pressing issues in today's world. To measure the gap between the rich and the poor in each country, the Gini index is used. This coefficient reflects how income is distributed within a society: the closer the index is to 100, the greater the inequality. Let's explore which countries currently have the highest Gini index values
This year has been pivotal for Bitcoin, the world's leading cryptocurrency. One of the key milestones was the approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. In April 2024, Bitcoin also experienced a halving event, which is typically seen as a positive development for the digital asset. This year, the cryptocurrency is up 57%, and analysts remain optimistic about its future. However, they highlight four key factors that could influence Bitcoin's trajectory, both for better and for worse
Analytical periodical US News and World Report has presented its ranking of the best countries in the world in terms of quality of life, based on a survey of nearly 17,000 people. The list considers factors such as economic and political stability, a strong labor market, income equality, family-friendliness, safety, the quality of education, and healthcare systems. Let's find out which countries made it to the top of this list.
