IS组织在中亚地区招募新成员

AS IT IS 2015-06-15 Islamic State Looking for New Members in Central Asia IS组织在中亚地区招募新成员

Central Asia has increasingly become a source of foreign fighters for militants² operating in the Middle East, especially the self-declared Islamic State. The group targets young men in countries with weak economies and undemocratic, repressive governments.

The question is what causes people to join Islamist extremists and what can be done to stop them from doing so.

The United Nations estimates that at least 25,000 people from more than 100 countries belong to the Islamic State or other militant¹ groups. Hundreds of people from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and more than 1,000 men from Kazakhstan have already joined the Islamic State, which some people call ISIS. Those recruitment numbers come from the U.S. Counterterrorism Center.

Congressman³ Chris Smith is from New Jersey⁴ and a member of the Republican Party. He says even government officials in some countries are joining the militants.

“Just last week we learned that the chief of Tajikistan’s counter-terrorism program -- someone highly-trained by the United States government -- abandoned his post to join ISIS.”

Experts are blaming the actions of Central Asian governments for causing people to join the Islamists. The experts note widespread corruption⁵ in the area. They also say laws are not fairly enforced, and human rights are violated. The experts say a lack of jobs adds to public dissatisfaction in many parts of Central Asia. Extremists use these issues to win followers⁶ to their cause.

Some militant groups can be skillful in their use of social media. The United States is working with foreign governments to prevent the broadcast of terrorist messages through social media and the cross-border movement of fighters.

But experts say there is no easy way to stop terrorists from urging people to join. They say one part of the solution is to work to improve economies so that young people can find jobs in their home country. They say it is easier for militant groups to recruit new members in migrant communities.

Daniel Rosenblum is the Deputy US Assistant Secretary of State for Central Asia. He says the terrorist groups try to recruit possible new members wherever they are.

“While there are no reliable statistics, research suggests that the vast majority of Central Asian fighters in Syria and Iraq are recruited while outside their own countries -- mostly while in Russia, where millions of them live as migrant workers.”

Frank Cilluffo is an associate vice⁷ president at The George Washington University in Washington. He also serves as the director of the university’s Center for Cyber and Homeland Security. He says the United States can help other countries fight terrorist recruiting efforts, but long-term solutions must come from the countries themselves.

“They are the ones closest to the action. They are the ones who know their communities, and they are the ones who are ultimately going to either detect and/or prevent, or respond to an incident.”

Experts say governments in Central Asia and other areas must improve their human rights records. They say the governments also need to reach out to minorities and get them involved in problem-solving.

Words in This Story

source – n. a place or thing that provides what is wanted or needed

recruitment – n. the process of adding new individuals to a group or organization; a campaign to increase membership

abandon(ed) – v. to leave and never return to (something)

reliable – adj. able to be believed; likely to be true or correct

statistics – n. a number that represents a piece of information (such as information about how often something is done or how common something is)

vast – adj. very great in size, amount or extent

ultimately – adv. at the end of a process or period of time

detect – v. to discover or notice the presence of (something that is hidden or hard to see, hear or taste)

respond – v. to do something as a reaction to something that has happened or been done

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。