Nearly 30 000 people, including more than 250 Americans, have left
their countries to join militant Islamists fighting in Syria and Iraq,
many with the Islamic State (ISIS), according to a congressional study
of the issue released on Tuesday.
The six-month study by
Republicans and Democrats on the House of Representatives Homeland
Security Committee said the US government lacks a strategy for combating
such travel, and called for measures including better information
sharing, within the United states and internationally.
Thirty
thousand doubles the total estimated number of such fighters a year ago,
when authorities also said about 100 Americans had joined, or tried to
join the fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Several dozen of the fighters have made their way back to the United States, the report said.
"We are witnessing the largest global convergence of jihadists in history," the report said.
The
report found that authorities have failed to interdict the majority of
Americans who have traveled to join foreign conflicts. It also found
there is too little assistance providing local communities with the
ability to spot warning signs.
The study also criticized foreign
governments, particularly in Europe, for failing to take measures such
as screening travellers against terrorism watch lists or trying to
identify forged passports.
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Study finds increase in foreign fighters for Syria, Iraq
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