A free Syrian army fighter fires his weapon in Ashrafieh, Aleppo September 21, 2013. Reuters
Up To 700 Young British Jihadists Could Be In Syria: Terror Chief Says Authorities Are Powerless To Stop Young Muslims Traveling To The War-Torn State -- Daily Mail
* Scotland Yard said Assad regime is 'magnet' for young extremists
* Children as young as 16 gone to fight, women gone to care for militants
* Mothers, wives, sisters of potential fighters were asked to contact police
Up to 700 British jihadists could now be fighting in Syria, the UK’s police counter-terrorism chief admitted yesterday.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Helen Ball said the authorities are powerless to stop young Muslims travelling to the war-torn state.
The Scotland Yard chief said the battle against the Assad regime acts like a ‘magnet’ – and fighters now number in the ‘mid’ rather than ‘low’ hundreds.
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More News On Britain's Growing Jihadist Problem
Up to 700 Britons feared to be in Syria -- The Telegraph
Met releases Syria arrest data that Home Office kept secret -- Bureau Of Investigative Journalism
UK police seek to discourage British youths from going to Syria to support rebels -- FOX News/AP
Police lose track of Britons travelling to Syria to fight -- Times
Syria: Warning over increase in 'British jihadis' -- ITV
British police appeal to women to help stop flow of would-be jihadists to Syria -- Washington post
British Muslim women urged to inform police over Syria activity -- The Guardian
Police make Syria plea to UK Muslim women -- BBC
Syria anti-terror plan slammed by parents and community groups -- The Guardian
4 comments:
This fear seems mis-identified.
Any young Western Moslem who would leave his home in Europe to fight in Syria is already radicalised. How could the fighting make him even more radical?
It seems that what the authorities really fear is that such fighters will learn military skills they can use against us when they return. This is fear of their combat experience, or "militarization", not "radicalization". If that is the real concern, why not say so?
There are at least three other factors not noted by the article.
First, some of the fighters will be killed or wounded, and will not come back at all or will return permanently crippled. Does anyone track such deaths/injuries among Western jihadists?
Second, after horrific fighting in Syria, it is not self evident that the jihadists will return hungry for more fighting. Many people return from wars resolved to avoid it in future.
Third, the figthing in Syria is among various branches of Islam. The hatred and bitterness those factions have for each other weill be intensified by the Syrian war. I wonder if the jihadists' experience will cause returning fighters to transfer their animosity from Christians or seculars in the West to Moslems against whom they fought in Syria?
I concur with your analysis Publius VI
Very valid points, fully agree
I think the authorities are afraid of "Trojan Horses" more than anything.
Otherwise I pretty much agree with all you've said. One exception:"Second, after horrific fighting in Syria, it is not self evident that the jihadists will return hungry for more fighting. Many people return from wars resolved to avoid it in future."
That may be true a lot, but is very dangerous to count on.
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