Webinar SeriesWelcome to the ASMEA Webinar Series. Throughout the year we will host discussions with seasoned scholars and practitioners on a variety of topics affecting the Middle East and Africa. These webinars are free and open to the public. Registration is required. Attendees who require a "Certificate of Attendance" can contact Emily Lucas at [email protected] after the event. View past webinars here. The Counterinsurgency Dilemma: Foreign Fighter Influence on Insurgencies in Afghanistan and SomaliaJoin ASMEA and Prof. Tricia Bacon, American University, for the webinar "The Counterinsurgency Dilemma: Foreign Fighter Influence on Insurgencies in Afghanistan and Somalia." This webinar will take place May 13, 2026 at 1:00 pm (Eastern Time). Register Here
In the wake of the Taliban's military defeat in 2001, foreign fighters played a critical role in assisting the Taliban to launch an insurgency against Coalition forces. Ten years later, by al-Qaida's own admission, the Taliban "almost didn't need" al-Qaida's non-Afghan fighters. Over time the Taliban grew sufficiently in strength that its need for foreign fighters—and foreign fighters' influence—virtually disappeared. Somalia shows a similar pattern. Foreign fighters initially played a prominent role in al-Shabaab, helping the group to launch an insurgency against Ethiopian forces, but their influence also declined as al-Shabaab became the dominant insurgent organization and built ties within Somali society. This is the first book to examine how foreign fighters gain and lose influence during insurgencies. Understanding foreign fighters' impact on conflicts is of increasing importance as the number of foreign fighters who have mobilized has grown in recent years, both in absolute numbers and in terms of the proportion of conflicts in which they are involved. In examining the conditions that contribute to the changes in their effect over time, Bacon explains how and why foreign fighter influence evolves within a conflict and which factors enable and constrain foreign fighter influence throughout an insurgency. Knowing how foreign fighters are situated vis-à-vis local insurgents, specifically the type of relationships they forge, should shape every aspect of counterinsurgency strategies to avoid counterproductive tactics, more effectively counter insurgent movements, and better protect civilians. Download this flyer for to receive a discount code. |
Tricia L. Bacon is a Professor at American University's School of Public Affairs and School of International Service. Bacon will talk about her new book,