Well, depending on who makes the call they can be, Freedom Fighters TM, Austere Religious Scholars, Opposition forces, Whateveristan Free Army, Moderates, and turn into Bloodthirsty Terrorists, the very next minute when the narrative suits the speaker and the winds of change just happened to blow.
Lets just agree that there are pawns who have been played and discarded by every warrying side for centuries. Thats the way Zealots work, they are predictable, can be easily played, and relatively safe to use and get rid off, if you have established the adecuate systems and forces when that time comes.... but if this basic precautions arent followed........... ohhh boy any ruler who wasnt careful and didnt do his job properly when dealing with this forces really went on a rough ride (for some literally the ride of their lives). They also come cheaper than mercs, are far more expendable, and certainly less dangerous than disgruntled or unpaid mercs, and waaaaay safer than "allied" forces allowed into your territory to fight on your behalf, but with their own agenda.
If you ask me they are Jihadis now, but they were the very same Jihadis when we trained then back then to topple Assad/Gaddaffi/Insert Name. Jeeeez..... I still remember the stories about their western instructors pissed off about the task of training jihadis. I still remember the story of a certain trainer not giving 2 fvcks and training them pisspoorly so they got offed in a month, so he wouldnt have to face them 2000km away in a different war 5 years down the road.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. This image of Armenian women is from 1895.
We use essential cookies to make this site work, and optional cookies to enhance your experience.