Author and lecturer Dr. Simon Cottee joined the Counter Extremism Project to
discuss his latest book examining how ISIS garnered support and strength


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CEP Book Discussion: Black Flags Of The Caribbean – How Trinidad Became An
ISIS Hotspot

Author and lecturer Dr. Simon Cottee joined the Counter Extremism Project to
discuss his latest book examining how ISIS garnered support and strength in the
Caribbean island

 

(New York, N.Y. / London) – On Wednesday, March 31, the Counter Extremism
Project (CEP) hosted awebinar <[link removed]> and
book discussion with Dr. Simon Cottee, senior lecturer in criminology at the
University of Kent. Dr. Cottee discussed his recent publicationBlack Flags of
the Caribbean – How Trinidad Became an ISIS Hotspot with London-based CEP
Advisor Liam Duffy.

 

Published on March 25, Dr. Cottee’s latest work analyzes how and why ISIS came
to amass such an unlikely, yet significant foothold in Trinidad. The
investigative piece follows a three-year study in Trinidad and comprises of
interviews with the families and friends of those who left to join the jihad,
Muslim activists and community leaders, imams, politicians, and intelligence
agents. This book presents the social forces and communities in Trinidad that
have been affected by ISIS.

 

Perhaps surprisingly, on a per-capita basis, Trinidad was one of the largest
providers of volunteers for the caliphate. By 2017, over 240 Trinidadian
nationals had traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS. With a population of 1.3
million, the number of ISIS recruits leaving Trinidad was roughly double the
rate of those leaving Belgium, which according to some estimates, has the
highest per-capita rate of foreign fighters in the Western world.

 

Commenting on the phenomenon, Dr. Cottee said: “The Caribbean does not
immediately come to mind when we think of ISIS, and yet, at the height of the
Caliphate radicalized foreign-fighters left Trinidad at an alarmingly high
rate. One of the least known, but most alarming, aspects of the Islamic State
is its ability to draw recruits and sympathizers from around the world,
including from many countries not known as hotbeds of radicalism. Examining
these outliers is a key component of counter-terrorism and will allow for a
more rounded analysis of what draws individuals to extremism.”

 

Another unusual element is the high proportion of female Trinidadians
recruited by ISIS. Of 70 foreign fighters analyzed by Dr. Cottee, 40 percent of
the adults were women. This places Trinidad at the top of the list of Western
countries for female ISIS migrants.

 

CEP Executive Director David Ibsen emphasized the importance of bringing the
foreign fighters home to face repercussions. He said: “Dr. Cottee’s research is
a welcome first step in recognizing and acknowledging ISIS hubs outside of
Europe, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. As the security and
status of north-eastern Syria becomes increasingly uncertain, it is imperative
that Trinidad and Tobago recognize their obligation to return their foreign
fighters to face investigations and potential prosecution for the crimes they
may have committed overseas.”

 

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