Analytic Memo 5: ISIS's Recruiting Methods

by Dack Anderson, Lead Security Consultant

Image: Katie Jone/WTSP-TV 10 Tampa Bay. Published on August 31, 2021.

As part of my academic journey at Pikes Peak State College, I had the opportunity to study ESA4010: Terrorism Threat & Risk Analysis in 2022, a critical course that deepened my understanding of terrorism-related threats, emergency response strategies, and analytical methods. Under the guidance of Professor Woody Byrd, I conducted extensive research using structured assessment models to analyze whether ISIS remains a threat to the United States.

In this week’s post, I examine how the Islamic State (ISIS) has evolved into a digitally sophisticated recruiting machine, targeting vulnerable individuals across the globe through psychological profiling, emotional manipulation, and strategic use of technology. Drawing from recent research and my own background in security and counterterrorism, I explore how ISIS exploits social media, online forums, and digital propaganda to radicalize and recruit, particularly among youth and high-achieving students. The post also confronts the difficult constitutional and ethical questions we face as a nation: How do we defend against this threat without compromising the very freedoms that define us?

Key Findings

As found in previous analytic memos, the Islamic State (ISIS) has a requirement for and has been recruiting supporters and fighters for some time. But there are no public recruitment offices on the corner block or in the local shopping malls. But what ISIS has done is use websites, forums, virtual rooms, social media, and digital magazines for recruiting new members. They have been so successful at using technology for recruitment that many anti-terrorist group insiders coined the term ‘cybercaliphate’, referring to the advanced electronic network the organization has professionally built (Las Heras, 2022). Though in the near past, it was said that the terrorist group had focused on those lone individuals in society looking to fulfill emotional needs, “who are prone to adhere to terrorist ideology” (McEntire, 2019).

However, the group had also focused on young females to bolster their ranks by marrying them off to fighters or having them serve as caregivers on the frontline. The technique is strikingly similar to that used by child predators, who build trust with young victims by cultivating secretive relationships. From there, an online meeting is set up, sometimes through a dating website. Many of the girls are high-achieving students, and ISIS exploits their altruistic tendencies by promising roles as teachers or nurses in the new caliphate (Nasser, 2015).

Today, these jihadists are tech-savvy and have learned to use a new type of recruiting technique: profiling. Much like the methods employed by intelligence officers, ISIS conducts a 'jihadist prospect engagement study' to analyze a recruit’s profile and assess their potential alignment with the group’s ideology. This process includes evaluating the individual’s emotional, social, and political aspirations. The recruiters review the applicant’s relational, emotional, and ideological capacity. This is particularly impactful for young people, who are often searching for belonging, purpose, and emotionally charged experiences (Bouzar & Flynn, 2017). Extremist organizations have capitalized on this vulnerability by leveraging technology’s strategic reach, demographic targeting capabilities, and cost-effectiveness. With these tools, ISIS has reportedly recruited thousands of individuals from over 110 countries worldwide (Al-Sarayreh, 2020).

Meaning of Findings

The Islamic State continues to disseminate propaganda, radicalize its audience, and recruit foreign fighters. Despite widespread awareness, some individuals in the West remain vulnerable to the group’s messaging (Howell, 2017). These patterns underscore that ISIS is far from a 'JV team.' Its recruitment strategies have evolved significantly since its inception, reflecting a sophisticated blend of psychological manipulation and technological savvy. The organization’s leadership demonstrates strategic foresight, creativity, and a keen understanding of human behavior, evident in their ability to anticipate future needs, introduce novel tactics, and solve complex recruitment challenges.

Assessment of Findings

Based on my research and professional background in the military, law enforcement, and security, it’s clear that this issue presents a profound dilemma for American counterterrorism strategy. Part of me, shaped by years of operational experience, feels the urge to take decisive, even extreme, measures, such as imposing martial law to sever all channels of communication used by ISIS and its sympathizers. But as a patriotic, Constitution-respecting American, I recognize that such actions would not only betray our core values but also hand ISIS a powerful propaganda tool, proof, in their eyes, of American hypocrisy.

This raises a critical question: How do we uphold the First Amendment’s protection of free speech while preventing our own innovations—like social media—from being weaponized against us? A hands-off approach risks repeating past tragedies, such as the Waco siege or the Hanafi hostage crisis, where media interference compromised counterterrorism efforts. Yet a heavy-handed response, akin to Britain’s tactics during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, would undermine the very Constitution that defines us as a nation of laws.

Even our political leaders struggle with this paradox. Ultimately, we must strike a careful balance, one that ensures both the effectiveness of our fight against terrorism and our unwavering commitment to constitutional principles. That balance is not easy to find, but it is essential if we are to remain both secure and free.

References:

Al-Sarayreh, A. (2020). How ISIS Uses Social Media For Recruitment. Canadian Forces College. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from https://www.cfc.forces.gc.ca/259/290/22/305/ AlSarayreh.pdf

Bouzar, D. & Flynn, C. (2017, September 5). ISIS Recruiting: It’s Not (Just) Ideological. Foreign Policy Research Institute. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from https://www.fpri.org/ article/2017/09/isis-recruiting-not-just-ideological/

Howell, M. (2017, May). Fighting Extremism: Efforts to Defeat Online ISIS Recruitment Methods. University of Mississippi: eGrove. Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from https:// egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/706/

Las Heras, P. (2022, March 21). How does ISIS recruit its members? Universidad de Navarra (Spain). Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from https://en.unav.edu/web/global-affairs/como recluta-el-isis-a-sus-miembros

McEntire, D. (2019). Introduction to Homeland Security: Understanding Terrorism Prevention and Emergency Management (2nd ed), pg 79. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Nasser, S. (2015, March 14). How does ISIS try to recruit Canadian girls? By using same tactics as pedophiles, TV special says. National Post (Canada). Retrieved on October 10, 2022, from https://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/sites/dcjs.virginia.gov/files/training-events/3289howdoesisistrytorecruitcanadiangirlsbyusingsametacticsaspedophilestvspecialsaysnationalpost.pdf