The Linda Story

I sat last night and watched the late news on German TV (public-network Channel One, ARD).  The big topic?  They had a team that accompanied the mother and sister of "Linda"....the young German gal who ran off to Iraq and became the bride of some ISIS guy....then he ended up dead, and she's been captured by the Iraqi government.

Linda has been a captive of the Iraqis for several months now, and this visit was worked out with the German government. 

The portrayal of this story goes along the line (at least since day one.....months ago)....that Linda was this crazy mixed-up German teenager, who was naive enough to fall for ISIS propaganda (she's not a Muslim originally, and the mother is pure German....not an immigrant).  Linda ran off....got into this ISIS business, got married, had a kid, and then ended up a captive. 

The three to four minutes last night?  It was delivered as a personal story, and I think Germans who watched it (it's after 10PM when this showed up)....would have felt the need to believe Linda....then help to get her out of Iraq. 

The idea of a return to Germany?

Here's the thing....Iraq really doesn't want bad negative coverage over this episode.  They say they've got a couple of German women (maybe six to seven) like Linda.  She's oddly enough....the only one with real coverage.  Why?  Unknown.  It is odd....the news folks only pick one face to use for this topic. 

The German authorities?  There's some talk that a opening will occur and she will be allowed back into Germany.  There's some negatives attached.  Some folks think it's a moral victory for ISIS if you let the women come back in. Most Germans have watched the public TV coverage and believe that the young women in question were just stupid and naive....thus letting them come back is not a big deal.

What would really screw up this mess is that someone comes along a year after the return of Linda, and say that she was a part of the ISIS campaign.....carrying a weapon, and possibly carrying out some really harsh situations.  No one has suggested this at this point, and maybe she is what she claims....totally innocent and naive. 

The one thing I get out of this story is that the German authorities really didn't grasp the propaganda being used in German schools and via social media.....to recruit kids.  There were a thousand things that they could have done.....to really screw up the propaganda used, and they simply missed their opportunity. 

My gut feeling on the open door for Linda?  You might as well go ahead and let the teenager come back in.  I would mandate some probation period of two years, and have a social worker personally meet with her weekly.  I'd mandate education and job-training as part of the deal.  And I might mandate no news media interviews unless they are approved by the social worker.