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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Up to 600 Europeans waging jihad in Syria

Apr 4, 2013 9:18 am By Robert Spencer

Eurabia’s new export: jihad. –˜Up to 600 Europeans among ranks of Syrian rebels,– from the Times of Israel, April 3 (thanks to Benedict):

Since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, between 2,000 and 5,500 foreign fighters, including up to 600 Europeans, have joined rebel forces in the fight against the Assad regime, a new study has found.

The International Center for the Study of Radicalization (ICSR) at King’s College London in the UK published its findings on Tuesday, citing over 450 Western and Arab sources and martyrdom notices on jihadi Internet forums.

Between “140 and 600 Europeans have gone to Syria since early 2011,” said researcher Aaron Y. Zelin, noting that up to 400 remain on the battlefield.

As many as 134 fighters from Britain have fought in Syria, according to the study, with 107 from the Netherlands, 92 from France and 85 from Belgium. The countries with the least fighters in Syria (1 apiece) are Albania, Austria, Bulgaria and Kosovo.

Other countries with fighters include Finland, Ireland, Sweden and Spain.

Most of the Dutch citizens estimated to be fighters have reportedly remained on the battlefield.

“As with previous conflicts, the picture is far from complete and will probably remain so for years to come,” said Zelin. “There is no “˜true census” of foreign fighters, and publicly available sources are inevitably incomplete.”

He dismissed consistent claims by the Syrian government that the majority of fighters involved in the Syrian conflict were foreigners, citing a “liberal estimate” of 5,500 foreign fighters out of a rebel force some 60,000-strong. Thus the foreigners would represent less than 10%. But “the actual figure is likely to be lower,” said Zelin.

The study found that the motivations for joining the fighting include the “horrific images of the conflict, stories about atrocities committed by government forces, and the perceived lack of support from Western and Arab countries.”

“In many cases, these individuals fully adopt the jihadist doctrine and ideology only when they are on the ground and in contact with hardened fighters,” the report said.

Zelin noted that “not everyone who has joined the Syrian rebels is al-Qaeda, and only a small number may ever become involved in terrorism after returning to Europe.”

However, he added a word of caution for European governments vis-a-vis these fighters: “Individuals with foreign training and/or fighting experience have featured prominently in European based terrorist plots,” and are far more dangerous and sophisticated than domestic cells….

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Filed Under: Eurabia, Syria


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