The Daily Mail
Online has this interesting headline:
‘I don’t want to be a jihadi ... I want to come home’: How dozens of British Muslims who went to Syria to join ISIS ‘plead to return to UK after becoming disillusioned with the conflict’
Of course, after the fashion of many news outlets, the
actual story fails to provide sufficient facts to judge whether its headline is
accurate or whether it is merely the fond wish of the British media. Other news
stories about ISIS show at least some of its adherents demonstrating considerable
enthusiasm for their cause, to say the least.
Assuming the story is accurate, this is one ISIS fighter’s
reason for his disillusionment:
“We came to fight the regime and instead we are involved in gang warfare. It’s not what we came for but if we go back [to Britain] we will go to jail.”
I’ll decline to express an opinion on what the British
government should do with individuals of this sort since I don’t have a dog in their fight.
I’m more interested in the sort of regret they are expressing, because it seems
rather insubstantial.