From 2013 through 2014, the Islamic State recruited tens
of thousands of fighters from all corners of the globe to
fight in Syria and Iraq. The vast majority of these fighters
were new to jihad, having never taken up arms before. Yet,
the Islamic State also drew a select group of recruits for
whom Syria would not be their first jihad. This article examines
219 such fighters who reported prior jihadi experience
outside of Syria. It finds that the profiles reported
by Islamic State veteran jihadis with experience in Libya
and Afghanistan, the two top locations from which Islamic
State fighters reported prior experience, are substantially
diferent. Veterans of jihad in Libya are the result of localized
dynamics while veterans of jihad in Afghanistan
represent a more internationalized jihadi contingent