Western fears from Terrorists

Islamic extremists from Western countries who have gone to fight in Syria could carry out terrorist attacks when they return home, British Foreign Secretary William Hague has warned.

Hague said war-torn Syria had become the “No.1 destination” for jihadists from around the world.

“They may not pose a threat to us when they first go to Syria, but if they survive, some may return ideologically hardened and with experience of weapons and explosives,” he said.

“The longer the conflict continues, the greater this danger will become,” he said recently in a wide-ranging speech setting out Britain’s plans to tackle terrorism without compromising human rights.

British trainee doctor Shajul Islam and another man, Jubayer Chowdhury, are due to go on trial in Britain in June charged with the kidnapping of two Western journalists who were held by Islamic extremists in Syria.

British photographer John Cantlie has said he and Dutch journalist Jeroen Oerlemans were held for a week last July by some 30 Islamic militants from countries that include Britain, Pakistan and Chechnya.

Hague himself on April 25, according to the Daily Telegraph, in a letter to British MPs, underlined that Islamist extremists who have flocked to Syria to fight with groups linked to al-Qaeda pose a direct threat to Britain because  they will return to plot attacks at home.

 “this is particularly concerning as we assess some of  the individuals being trained will seek to carry out attacks against Western interests in the region or in Western states now or in the future,” wrote.

Thus, the reckless British thrust into arming the terrorists in Syria should be reconsidered not only in the interest of the Syrians, but of the British People. Terrorism indeed has no boundaries.

Mohammad Abdo Al-Ibrahim