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The startling news that an American, Douglas McAuthur McCain, died fighting with extremist Islamist rebels in Syria again raises concerns that the Obama administration has sounded for months — that Americans could come back home hardened by conflict in Iraq and Syria and trained to launch terrorist attacks on their own homeland. U.S. officials said in response to NBC News' exclusive report about McCain that "dozens" of Americans could be fighting at any one time with various extremist groups in the region — including the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS. With fear growing over the turmoil in the Middle East, U.S. intelligence and foreign policy agencies are racing to understand these radicalized Westerners and the potential threats they may pose abroad and at home.
More than 10,000 foreign fighters are believed to be fighting with ISIS alone — nearly doubling the strength of the group, which is believed to have only 8,000 to 10,000 native fighters of its own, said James Gelvin, a professor of Middle East history at the University of California-Los Angeles and author of "The Arab Uprisings: What Everyone Needs to Know." Opinions vary widely, but the broad consensus is that about 3,000 of those foreigners are from the West — most from Europe, particularly Britain, but also some from the U.S., Obama administration officials told NBC News. By and large, they're "people who are converts to Islam who have no prior experience to the religion [or] the culture, just like any other American," said NBC News terrorism analyst Evan Kohlmann of Flashpoint Global Partners, which tracks terrorist groups around the world. The first wave of foreign fighters was attracted specifically to the battle to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, Raffaello Pantucci, a senior research fellow for the London-based Royal United Services Institute, told NBC News. But at some point, that changed, and "the narrative right now is, 'I'm going to help build this Islamic State,'" Pantucci said last week. They're people like Donald Ray Morgan, 44, of North Carolina, whom the FBI arrested on firearms charges this month. In June, he posted a photo to Twitter of him swearing an oath to the head of ISIS: "Mujahid pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Islamic State commanding good and forbidding evil." And they're people like Shannon Maureen Conley, a 19-year-old Muslim convert from Arvada, Colorado, who pleaded guilty to providing assistance to a foreign terrorist organization. According to documents in U.S. District Court in Denver (PDF), Conley told an "active member" of ISIS that she was committed to "violent jihad against non-believers" and planned to travel to Syria to get special training to help ISIS.
originally posted by: RyanDaniel
a reply to: EA006
It seems they can just blend in inside the U.S. and other countries much easier than Al Qaeda ever could. Some of these Europeans are educated White guys who speak perfect English. No more stereotyping what a so called "terrorist" looks like these days.
originally posted by: RyanDaniel
a reply to: Irishhaf
Also, is Europe not monitoring these things considering up to 3,000 have come from Europe?
originally posted by: UnBreakable
My take is, just as extremist fundamentalist Christians want to fulfill all prophecies i.e. WWIII in the ME benefitting Israel, to hasten the Second Coming. ISIS (extremists) want to establish their caliphate and convert everyone to fulfill their own prophecy. Religion has, and always will be, man's ultimate downfall. So many billions of lives lost over the millenia because of belief in fairytales.
originally posted by: nfflhome
originally posted by: UnBreakable
My take is, just as extremist fundamentalist Christians want to fulfill all prophecies i.e. WWIII in the ME benefitting Israel, to hasten the Second Coming. ISIS (extremists) want to establish their caliphate and convert everyone to fulfill their own prophecy. Religion has, and always will be, man's ultimate downfall. So many billions of lives lost over the millenia because of belief in fairytales.
Or others behind the scenes using religion to obtain there goals.
Christians arnt out there crusading for the sake of conversion or to fulfill prophecies.
That is an atheistic myth or outright lie.
Its about oil and other natural resources and using some religions to
obtain the bottom line. They are scammed into doing the dirty work.
There are plenty of atheists working behind the curtains equally as guilty.
Its all about the money $$.
originally posted by: stirling
One good thing is all the Bad fish are in the same barrel.....why not wipe them out over there ?Rather than have to deal with them at home?
Obama has the power to do it.......order more air strikes and send in the drones......