Islamic State’s Lasting Grip Is a New Hurdle for Europe, US
The girl, speaking in the lilting accent of southern France, appeared in government ads describing how she was recruited by Islamic State extremists during her quest for religion, then encouraged to quit school and go to Syria, and finally to plot a suicide attack against a synagogue at home.
Former Guantanamo detainee and al-Qaida trainee Mourad Benchellali talks during an interview with AP in Gennevilliers, suburban Paris, France, on May 13, 2016. With thousands of young Europeans joining the ranks of radical Islamists in Syria, some people have stepped forward to offer to deter them. But most governments and groups trying to prevent the exodus of vulnerable youths are cautious about accepting such services—since the volunteers were once radicals themselves. AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere
PARIS—The girl, speaking in the lilting accent of southern France, appeared in government ads describing how she was recruited by Islamic State (ISIS) extremists during her quest for religion, then encouraged to quit school and go to Syria, and finally to plot a suicide attack against a synagogue at home.
“I have a hard time even admitting now that I was indoctrinated,” she says to the camera in the ad before breaking down, describing how she tried to recruit others.
The teen, known as Lea, was meant to be the poster child of a nascent program in France aimed at de-radicalizing young people to stem their flow to Syria. But the jihadi rehab didn’t work. Six times she reconnected with the extremists, and six times she called her counselor in tears to apologize.
The seventh time, late in 2015, landed her in jail.
