EU Justice Commissioner: Over 6000 Europeans Joined Terrorist Groups in Syria

PARIS-The number of Europeans fighting with terrorist groups in Syria could exceed 6,000, a top EU official told a French newspaper today, AFP reported.

“At the European level, we estimate that 5,000-6,000 individuals have left for Syria,” EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova told Le Figaro in an interview, adding the true number was likely to be far higher due to the difficulty of tracking foreign fighters in the conflict.

“At the time of the attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, we decided not to allow ourselves to be guided by fear,” she said, referring to January’s twin terrorist attacks in the French capital and the subsequent deadly shootings on a cultural centre in Denmark.

Focusing on those seeking to leave for Syria to wage what they call [jihad], or those returning from the conflict, meant intervening “too late”, she said.

Jourova said that the EU instead wanted to promote prevention as a means of curtailing the steady flow of European nationals, looking at the diverse reasons of why people joined terrorist groups beyond simply religion.

Another focus for the EU was speeding up the exchange of information between the police forces and court systems of member states, she said, with more intelligence sharing required.

Europe and western states in general has been experiencing a panic state caused by their growing fears that the European terrorists fighting in Syria along with –foreign backed armed groups will return home to carry out terrorist attacks in their countries.

 H. Mustafa