• Why Jihad Watch?
  • About Robert Spencer and Staff Writers
  • FAQ
  • Books
  • Muhammad
  • Islam 101
  • Privacy

Jihad Watch

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

180 US Muslims have joined jihad in Syria; 40 have already returned

Mar 3, 2015 7:12 pm By Robert Spencer

Al-Sultan Murad brigadeWhat could possibly go wrong? “180 Americans Joined Islamic Militants in Syria, 40 Have Already Come Home,” Reuters, March 2, 2015:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – About 180 Americans have traveled to Syria to join Islamist militants and around 40 of them have returned to the United States, the U.S. National Intelligence director, James Clapper, said on Monday.

Clapper said not all those who went to Syria, where Islamic State militants and other factions are fighting each other and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad, had engaged in the Islamist campaign. Some might have been aid workers, he said.

The United States and its allies believe that more than 20,000 foreign fighters from more than 90 countries have gone to Syria. Islamic State forces have taken over large parts of Syria and neighboring Iraq.

U.S. officials have expressed concern that some Americans, radicalized and trained to stage attacks in Syria, may wreak havoc when they come home. Clapper said he was not aware of any plots in which returning fighters had been involved.

He told a forum at the Council of Foreign Relations that as long as such travelers did not become engaged in violence, it was their “privilege as American citizens” to return to the United States.

Clapper said donations to extremist groups like Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliates by governments and private parties in Muslim countries had recently declined, and said that was partly because of stepped up oversight by governments in the region.

He reiterated that the priority of the United States and its allies in Syria now was the fight against Islamic State. But he said the United States still believed it was essential that Assad leave office because the “magnet for all of this extremism … is because of him.”

He acknowledged that U.S. efforts to recruit, vet and train “moderate” Syrian rebels would be a prolonged effort….

Far more prolonged than he knows.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Follow me on Facebook

Filed Under: American jihadis, Featured, Islamic State (aka ISIS, ISIL, Daesh), United States Tagged With: James Clapper


Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Comments

  1. David says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 7:55 pm

    Why should we worry about funding DHS if they let these jerks return?

    • Spot On says

      Mar 4, 2015 at 12:56 pm

      I suppose that DHS thinks they will return and assimilate.

  2. Beagle says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 8:02 pm

    Someone will explain this some day. Some day.

    The feds stop them from going. That is a crime. But after they go and commit murder, rape, genocide, and crimes against humanity DHS lets them come home and walk around free as jihadi birds.

    This must make sense to someone. Please explain.

    • Lioness says

      Mar 4, 2015 at 11:06 am

      Obama can explain. He wants it that way.

  3. Angemon says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 8:12 pm

    Only 180? Oh, wait, those are just the ones they know about…

  4. Sam says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 8:51 pm

    They should be able to leave this country for Syria and should never be allowed to come back. Also most of the Jihadis go through Turkey for Syria freely and Turkey is never question about helping the enemy.

    • Lia Wissing says

      Mar 4, 2015 at 4:53 am

      But Mr Erdogan of Turkey is Mr Obama’s good friend, who advises him on how to raise his daughters. One cannot ask such a good friend what role he plays in world terrorism, can one?

  5. Lucretius says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 9:19 pm

    ” as long as such travelers did not become engaged in violence, it was their “privilege as American citizens” to return to the United States.”

    How would Clapper know if they became engaged in violence? Just take their word for it? What else could he be going by when out on the ground intelligence is so poor? Did the forum at the CFR hear this without a guffaw?

  6. pumbar says

    Mar 3, 2015 at 11:17 pm

    Plus the open borders with Mexico and the recent statement that the government was preparing for the arrival of 5-10 million “new Americans”. I hope you guys speak good Spanish. That way you might be eligible for the housing, welfare and interest free loans.

  7. Screeminmeeme says

    Mar 4, 2015 at 8:23 am

    This suicidal policy of permitting American traitors to return to the country has got to stop! Anyone who joins the enemy should have his citizenship immediately revoked and never be allowed to re-enter the country for the rest of their lives.

  8. Mulakush says

    Mar 4, 2015 at 8:43 am

    These returnees should be interrogated and released only after they are cleared. Upon release, they should be placed on probation and ongoing monitoring for at least a decade.

  9. Badbob says

    Mar 5, 2015 at 7:47 pm

    …….treason……..oh yeah proicutorial descresion…..

FacebookYoutubeTwitterLog in

Subscribe to the Jihad Watch Daily Digest

You will receive a daily mailing containing links to the stories posted at Jihad Watch in the last 24 hours.
Enter your email address to subscribe.

Please wait...

Thank you for signing up!
If you are forwarding to a friend, please remove the unsubscribe buttons first, as they my accidentally click it.

Subscribe to all Jihad Watch posts

You will receive immediate notification.
Enter your email address to subscribe.
Note: This may be up to 15 emails a day.

Donate to JihadWatch
FrontPage Mag

Search Site

Translate

The Team

Robert Spencer in FrontPageMag
Robert Spencer in PJ Media

Articles at Jihad Watch by
Robert Spencer
Hugh Fitzgerald
Christine Douglass-Williams
Andrew Harrod
Jamie Glazov
Daniel Greenfield

Contact Us

Terror Attacks Since 9/11

Archives

  • 2020
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2019
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2018
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2017
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2016
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2015
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2014
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2013
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2012
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2011
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2010
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2009
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2008
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2007
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2006
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2005
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2004
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • September
    • August
    • July
    • June
    • May
    • April
    • March
    • February
    • January
  • 2003
    • December
    • November
    • October
    • March

All Categories

You Might Like

Learn more about RevenueStripe...

Recent Comments

  • Hoi Polloi on EU Parliament members call for firing of border agency director for preventing illegal migrants from entering Europe
  • OLD GUY on Why so many Muslims can’t wait for Biden to get inaugurated
  • gravenimage on Iranian top dogs approve bill to end UN nuclear inspections, increase enrichment
  • OLD GUY on Biden vows to surrender to Iran, then negotiate
  • Peter Clemerson on New study reveals that Muslim religiosity strongly linked to hatred towards the West

Popular Categories

dhimmitude Sharia Jihad in the U.S ISIS / Islamic State / ISIL Iran Free Speech

Robert Spencer FaceBook Page

Robert Spencer Twitter

Robert Spencer twitter

Robert Spencer YouTube Channel

Books by Robert Spencer

Jihad Watch® is a registered trademark of Robert Spencer in the United States and/or other countries - Site Developed and Managed by Free Speech Defense

Content copyright Jihad Watch, Jihad Watch claims no credit for any images posted on this site unless otherwise noted. Images on this blog are copyright to their respective owners. If there is an image appearing on this blog that belongs to you and you do not wish for it appear on this site, please E-mail with a link to said image and it will be promptly removed.

Our mailing address is: David Horowitz Freedom Center, P.O. Box 55089, Sherman Oaks, CA 91499-1964

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.