SIPRI Yearbook 2015
III. The growth in European foreign terrorist fighters
Individuals directly supporting terrorism on the ground in other countries are now frequently referred to as ‘foreign terrorist fighters’. The United Nations Security Council has defined foreign terrorist fighters as: ‘individuals who travel to a State other than their States of residence or nationality for the purpose of the perpetration, planning, or preparation of, or participation in, terrorist acts or the providing or receiving of terrorist training, including in connection with armed conflict’.1 The inclusion of the term ‘terrorist’ implies a narrower group compared to the broader definition ‘foreign fighters’. The term ‘foreign terrorist fighter’ is controversial mainly because it presumes either an international legal definition of terrorism (which does not exist) or a common identification of certain individuals and organizations as terrorists. In this context, it is mainly up to states to define ‘terrorists’ and ‘terrorism’ within their national legal framework. This makes it difficult to achieve cross-national coherence in both identifying and developing policy responses to foreign terrorist fighters.
- Citation (MLA):
- Anthony, Ian. "6. European security." SIPRI Yearbook. SIPRI. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2016. Web. 28 Mar. 2025. <https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198737810/sipri-9780198737810-chapter-6-div1-4.xml>.
- Citation (APA):
- Anthony, I. (2016). 6. European security. In SIPRI, SIPRI Yearbook 2015: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198737810/sipri-9780198737810-chapter-6-div1-4.xml
- Citation (Chicago):
- Anthony, Ian. "6. European security." In SIPRI Yearbook 2015: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security, SIPRI. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016). Retrieved 28 Mar. 2025, from https://www.sipriyearbook.org/view/9780198737810/sipri-9780198737810-chapter-6-div1-4.xml
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