A One-Armed IS Warlord and the Problem of Militant Returnees in Georgia - Jamestown

"Officials estimate that 50 Georgian citizens have fought for various jihadist groups in Syria and Iraq (Civil Georgia, November 28, 2015). The majority are ethnic Kists, but Adjaran Georgians and Azerbaijanis are also among that number (VoA, 18 January, 2016). Despite this relatively small number of fighters, at least four Georgian citizens have emerged as prominent field commanders, securing their place in the elite of global jihad (Kavkazskii Uzel, December 11, 2017).

As the shootout at the Tbilisi apartment block where Chataev was killed demonstrates, the return of these militants has already commenced. Indeed, Chataev was not the first returning jihadist to gain media attention—in November 2015, IS militant David Borchashvili was arrested upon his arrival at the Tbilisi airport (Tabula, November 23, 2015).

Returning jihadists not only pose an immediate threat to public safety in Georgia, but they are also well positioned to radicalize members of the local Muslim community. Political disenfranchisement and economic hardship have created fertile ground for recruitment and radicalization within Georgia’s Muslim community. Meanwhile, the experience of the Soviet-Afghan War suggests that returning veterans of jihadist conflicts can increase the capabilities of domestic Islamist groups."