Assessing the Threat of Jihadists Returning From Syria

We have been closely following the events in Syria since the demonstrations in spring 2011 that led to the civil war. Over the years, we've discussed the beginnings of foreign intervention in 2011 to its becoming a widespread phenomenon. We've also tracked the spread of jihadist groups in Syria over the past three years to the present point where the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has rebelled against al Qaeda and formed a second pole of jihadism. All this is to say that we watch Syria carefully and we read a lot of reporting from various sources about the many facets of the civil war raging there and the implications for the region. One of the narratives regarding the fighting in Syria that has become very pronounced in recent weeks is the threat foreign jihadists currently fighting in Syria will pose when they return home. There has been some...