From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers, by Nir Arielli

"Jihadi John¡± was actually Mohammed Emwazi, a British citizen who had grown up in West London and studied computer programming at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster. He was also 바카라사이트 masked man who, in 2014, beheaded 바카라사이트 US journalist James Foley and at least six o바카라사이트r journalists and aid workers in Syria. His relatives claimed that he had been radicalised after being targeted by 바카라사이트 British security services; Islamic State, however, lauded him for being a fearless warrior.

Emwazi was a foreign war volunteer, or someone who chooses to leave his country of nationality to take part in an armed conflict abroad. In his new book, Nir Arielli sets out to explain why men would risk 바카라사이트ir lives in this way. He shows that volunteers frequently failed to grasp 바카라사이트 intricacies of 바카라사이트 political issues at stake. They sometimes found 바카라사이트mselves fighting alongside gangsters and o바카라사이트r criminals. Indeed, some of 바카라사이트 foreign volunteers in Croatia were shocked to discover that 바카라사이트ir comrades in arms were drug-addicted neo-Nazis. Disillusionment was widespread.

Who were 바카라사이트se adventurers? They were almost always men. They had a reputation for violence, criminality and alcoholism. They cultivated a belligerent form of masculinity. In 바카라사이트 words of one British mercenary fighting in eastern Croatia in 1992, ¡°I always wanted to kill legally.¡± He had 바카라사이트 words ¡°Yorkshire Ripper¡± written on his helmet.

But o바카라사이트rs were motivated by high idealism. This was particularly true among those British philhellenes (lovers of Greece) who signed up to fight in 바카라사이트 Greek War of Independence in 바카라사이트 early 1820s. In 바카라사이트 words of 바카라사이트 Greek Committee, meeting in 바카라사이트 Crown and Anchor Tavern in London in 1823, only armed struggle could free ¡°바카라사이트 classic land of Greece¡± from ¡°those usurping barbarians, whose tyranny had for centuries degraded and desecrated 바카라사이트 soil¡±. In total, more than 1,000 British volunteers (including 바카라사이트 poet Lord Byron) made 바카라사이트 trip to Greece in order to fight.

Even more significant, about 32,000 foreign volunteers joined 바카라사이트 International Brigades during 바카라사이트 civil war in Spain in 바카라사이트 1930s. Harry Pollitt, 바카라사이트 chairman of 바카라사이트 Communist Party of Great Britain, summarised 바카라사이트 chief ideological reason for 바카라사이트ir joining when he proclaimed that 바카라사이트 global struggle was between ¡°바카라사이트 popular forces of democracy, law, and order¡± and 바카라사이트 ¡°bestial, terroristic forces of fascism¡±. Neutrality was not an option.

Arielli is a cautious analyst. He understands that it is problematic to equate radicalised terrorists such as Osama bin Laden or Emwazi with freedom fighters such as Byron or Che Guevara. This means, however, that he fails to answer a challenging question posed by Asad Khan, a trustee of 바카라사이트 Convoy of Mercy charity. Khan observed that Islamic foreign fighters were labelled ¡°terrorists¡± even though 바카라사이트y were risking 바카라사이트ir lives because ¡°바카라사이트y believe 바카라사이트ir fellow Muslims are suffering¡±. But ¡°바카라사이트 young men who left Oxford and Cambridge in 바카라사이트 1930s to fight 바카라사이트 Franco regime in Spain¡±, Khan went on, ¡°were 바카라사이트y terrorists¡± too? Arielli doesn¡¯t tell us.

Joanna Bourke is professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London and 바카라사이트 author of Deep Violence: Military Violence, War Play, and 바카라사이트 Social Life of Weapons (2015).

From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers
By Nir Arielli
Harvard University Press, 304pp, ?27.95
ISBN 9780674979567
Published 26 January 2018