ISIS RECRUITMENT OF CHILDREN IN SYRIA

The Islamic State group, better known as ISIS, is working to take over other countries in the Middle East. Countries such as Libya, Iraq and Syria have seen swathes of their territories fall under its occupation, and the group, having established a sophisticated media network, training camps, administrative structures and they exert authority and control. From a military standpoint, the terrorist group has been able to hold on to its conquest (Muzaffar). The creation of ISIS has changed the political dynamic in most of the countries in the Middle East.

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Residents in the Achin District said the Islamic State group madrassas operate under command of Ahmad Wali, an Afghan national who was once a trainer for the rival Taliban (Carter). The Islamic extremist group’s Afgan media wing released a video in late January showing 13 boys and you men taking part in military- style training exercises in mountain terrain. They youth are dressed in black with Kalashnikovs (Carter). Boys in the video stated: “We are training here at the Islamic State center. We learned about jihad and now we will fight against enemies of Islam. We are asking all young people to leave your home and join us and fight in the way of God.” (Carter). ISIS documents were found in Syria and Pakistan affirm the coordinated effort by the terrorist organization to recruit children for jihad and establish training camps beyond Iraq and Syria. ISIS benefits from recruiting children because the children are brainwashed into following the group for their whole life. The group has continued to feature more and more children in propaganda releases, thus increasing the recruitment (Carter).

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Today, the Islamic State group is preparing more than 500 children for suicide and combat missions against American and other Targets in Afghanistan (Carter). The camps and madrassas, also known as the Islamic religious schools, were established by the Islamic State group last year in several different areas. The group initially received more than 50 children, some as young as six years old. The recruitment efforts have grown dramatically throughout the past year. Residents state that the Islamic State group recruiters are paying parents roughly $300 to $500 per month per child. The Islamists that are in charge downplay or conceal the suicide and combat training from parents, who are then promised religious education for their children which is highly sought after despite the high price.

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One of the other main concerns has been the refugees from Syria. By the end of 2013 there were over 2 million registered refugees. An estimated 100,000 people have been killed from the fighting and several more have been wounded or disappeared (Dahi). Many of these people are children that are either fighting, or left behind by families. The refugee crisis is also causing health problems for the citizens of Syria. There has been an increase in health issues, and many people are dying of chronic disease because of their inability to access medical care and treatment as a result of the devastation of the country’s health infrastructure. These problems prompted the United Nations to declare Syria a Level 3 emergency, which is the highest level emergency in the UN system and a top priority for funding (Dahi). The political negotiations between the government, rebels and their allies is treated as separate issues, but the long term solutions is effecting the whole regions political map.