American woman who led Islamic State battalion in Syria sentenced to 20 years
GuardianNov 02, 2022
A Kansas woman who led an all-female ISIS battalion in Syria was sentenced to 20 years in prison and 25 years of supervised release on Tuesday, the maximum sentence allowed by law.
Allison Fluke-Ekren, 42, pleaded guilty to providing material support to a terrorist network earlier this year. She has also admitted to heading a battalion that taught around 100 women and girls to use automatic weapons and detonate grenades and suicide belts. Some of the girls were reportedly as young as 10.
Fluke-Ekren was an ISIS empress who abused her children, committed terrorist acts abroad, and even planned attacks on US soil. The fact that she is being punished to the full extent of the law is a victory for justice.
While a win, too much focus on punishing one individual for their extremism and atrocities won't help Western nations with the pragmatic steps they need to take to protect themselves from further terrorism. Nations in Europe and America must mitigate radicalization at home by building more inclusive and well-integrated societies.