Foreign Fighters and the Blindspot in the Joint American-Israeli Syria Policy: A Recommendation

During his Gulf visit this month, POTUS made an announcement that sent high waves of joy and hope amongst Syrians worldwide; for which he received a standing ovation from Saudi royalty whilst attributing credit to their progressive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He announced his intent to bring a cessation to all U.S.-imposed sanctions on Syria. Another major headline of that visit was his meeting with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad Al-Sharaa.

President Trump made it clear in his face-to-face time with Al-Sharaa that the expulsion of foreign fighters is a non-negotiable imperative request for the normalization of relations with the United States. The same demand has been echoed by Syria’s Israeli neighbors. Al-Sharaa, in his turn, underscored the intricacies pertaining to the fulfillment of that demand whilst expressing his willingness to see it through.

The question remains: Will he be able to deliver?

As a matter of fact, it is not a question of “if” but “how”.

There is an intractable blindspot in the joint U.S.-Israeli approach for engagement with Syria’s interim authorities vis-à-vis the foreign fighters issue, that is readily apparent to the discerning eye.

Expelling 70,000+ foreign fighters may be theoretically feasible, were it limited to designated “fighters” alone!

In addition to their pre-existing families in their countries of origin — those migrated to Syria — they have mingled with Syrian women and taken upon them wives, who bore children to them [emphasis added].

SPOILER ALERT‼️ These interracial multi-ethnic jihadists’ offspring are born Syrians; born with Syrian birth certificates and registered as Syrians in Idlib.

What kind of life do we expect these boys to lead when they’re grown men?

Given the environment wherein they are born and bred, and the direct influence of their fathers, my wager is that they are most likely to follow their sires’ footsteps. That is to say, they are the next generation of Islamic jihadists. And we’re back to square one.

Before hastily conceding to all American and Israeli terms and conditions, do the Syrian interim authorities have any notion as to what to do about those children? Does the Syrian law have the legal mechanism to help them navigate such a delicate litigation?

Well, there are only two practicable ways to address this problem — since liquidation is morally inconceivable an option here.

The first being rescinding their Syrian citizenships and repatriating them to their fathers’ homelands, presuming that those countries would have them.

The second would be establishing reservations in northern governorates to host them, wherein rigorous re-education (in Lockean terminology) and rehabilitation programs are administered.

Thus far, none of the stakeholders has even tangentially touched on this aspect insofar the foreign fighters’ problem is concerned.

Are they completely oblivious to it?

Should that be the case, then we have a very rough and long road ahead!