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RESEARCHERS IN LONDON have found that 26 Irish people are believed to have fought in Syria’s brutal civil war over the past two years.
In a major study looking at the number of people from other countries who have fought in Syria, researchers at King’s College London estimated that between 2,000 and 5,500 foreign fighters – including up to 600 Europeans – have so far joined rebel forces to fight against the Assad regime.
The number of people from Ireland who joined the fighting was higher than the number from Finland (13), Spain (6), Sweden (5), and Albania, Austria, Bulgaria and Kosovo, which all recorded just one person each.
Between 28 and 134 people from Britain are believed to have joined the opposition forces, as well as up to 107 people from the Netherlands and between 30 and 92 people from France.
Researchers said that the figures at the lower end of the scale are either conservative estimates or fully confirmed individuals, while the higher numbers take into account estimates provided by government and media which have not yet been verified.
Researchers said they believed most of the Europeans who travelled to Syria are still on the battlefield.
The study by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation used more than 450 sources in the Western and Arab media, as well as martyrdom notices posted in jihadist online forums to reach its figures.
Researchers noted that as with other conflicts, “the picture is far from complete and will probably remain so for years to come” as there is no fully accurate census of foreign fighters and “publicly available sources are inevitable incomplete”.
At least two Irish citizens have been killed since the fighting broke out in Syria. Shamseddin Gaidan was just 16 when he was believed to have been killed in February. The teenager’s family had moved from Libya to Meath in 2001. Separately, Hudhaifa ElSayed, a 22-year-old who was born in Egypt but moved to Drogheda in Louth as a child, was reported to have been killed last December after he left Ireland to join the rebels.
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How many were Irish born?
This is a worrying development.
What’s worrying about it? That 26 people went home to join the fight rather than sit on their arses and moan about it like us?
Go home and fight? The two lads who died were from Egypt and Libya. They were recruited to fight in Syria by jihadists.
Young men, living in Ireland, being recruited by jihadists is very worrying indeed.
If you don’t understand what’s worrying about it, you understand neither the conflict itself or the motivation of those who are prepared (hoping) to die to establish a fascist theocracy there.
Irish or “Irish”? Big difference.
They may have obtained Irish citizenship but they certainly were not Irish! But sure its the easiest passport in the world to get your hands on, just collect 10 tokens on special packs of rice Crispies or send $10 along with your new desired idendity to Olobom Uamama c/o Lagos Legitimate Passport Enterprises
Re Declan.
Well I have been saying for almost two years now that the majority of the ‘rebels’ are foreign religious nut jobs. While this report does not confirm that it does show what the Syrian government and people have been saying for a long time, that there are literally thousands of foreign people just showing up in Syria trying to implement Sharia law and commuting terrible atrocities.
Hopefully the Syrian government can defeat these foreign backed terrorists.
The new prime minister of the opposition’s interim government is from Dallas.
B Lowe, here’s the BS with you. You are critical of a “one man operation” out of a house in England commenting on what’s going on in Syria but you yourself are this “little one man operation” getting on here time after time telling us all “your truth” about endless conspiracies.
Get out of the shadows.
Very class Declan.
I am a one man nothing. I contribute to debates with information, you contribute with endless personal attacks.
No b Lowe, you don’t give any information. You have never given any reliable source to back up what you say. All you do is attack the west, the US and western media.
You are not a credible source for anything going on in the world.
And what are you saying dec? That there’s no outside influence fighting in Syria? Enlighten us when your contacts from Syria get back to you mmmkay
Well in fairness BLowe, this does pretty much blow your “Syrian opposition is mainly comprised of foreign terrorists” mantra clean out of the water.
We all know that foreign fighters are on the ground, but this study confirms that they only make up a small proportion of the muti-faceted anti-Assad forces.
Re Mattoid.
I actually green thumbed you there. Yes, this report does not show that the majority of the opposition are foreign religious nuts. This is correct.
However, I still believe the majority of the so called ‘rebels ‘ are foreign nationals intent on making Syria a secular state with Sharia law. I believe more concrete proof for this will come out as the proxy invasion continues.
I mean we have a Saudi minister saying 1,000 hardened criminals were released from Saudi jails and sent to cause mayhem in Syria. As long as this conflict continues the truth will get out slowly.
Thanks for the green thumb BLowe, but I have always argued with you that although foreign fighters are on the ground in Syria they only make up a small percentage of those fighting against Assad’s forces, and this report totally vindicates my position.
It also disproves your repeated assertion that the vast majority of anti-Assad fighters are foreign. You have just said that you still believe that to be the case (as is your prerogative) but unless you know something that these researchers (and their 450 cited sources) don’t then your stance is pretty irrational.
In addition, despite all your criticism of foreign fighters entering a conflict that has nothing to do with them you have never once referred to the Iranian soldiers known to have been sent in to support the Assad dictatorship.
Any red-haired Eugene O Shaughnassy’s on the list?
I hope the government and Gardai will bring these people upon return for questioning. The rebels are extreme Muslims. In fact they really are fascists.
Assad I hate but the rebels are dangerous. Better the devil you know.
The families of these Irish kids should also be questioned. Why are kids growing up in Ireland traveling around the world fighting to support religious extremism ? So much for being told our Muslim youths don’t have the same problems that France ,Britian etc have with their Muslim youths.
They are fighting oppression like the Irish people for years in the past
No they aren’t. They are fighting oppression to replace it with a fascist theocracy.
The rebels will bring a lot worse to that country with their extreme beliefs and actions. Best the lads out there stay out there.
Its worrying that these people may return to Ireland after being involved in this war,one can only imagine the things they have seen and done,I wonder can they possibly fit back into a society so very different than there own
B Lowe will be along soon to spout some verbal diarrhea
Hmmm….
Go for it!
B Lowe, I see that you are commenting on another article about the Newton shooting being a conspiracy. It’s all a conspiracy with you. You are not a critical thinker.
Re Declan.
????
B Lowe a critical thinker definitely not. Perhaps, a cynical thinker is a more apt description. An extremely cynical thinker.
After the disingenuous PC headline we have to read to the very last paragraph to be told that one of the ‘Irish’ lads killed in Syria was born in Libya, the other in Egypt — which just might, conceivably, have some connection with their reasons for signing up for the intra-Islamic sectarian civil war in Syria!?! While, as the study says, not all of these foreign fighters have al-Qaeda motivations, others probably do and more may become radicalised while over there. Like JaymiIreland I sure hope the Gardai here will be watching these potentially very dangerous ‘Irish lads’ when they return.
It’s a shame that our own media (including the Journal.ie) brainwashes us using false information and then some of us go and fight against the democratically-elected Syrian government. Pitty
Please show me some evidence of TheJournal.ie and other media organisations engaging in brainwashing.
Please show me some evidence that the Syrian government is democratically elected – multi-party elections have been banned there since the early 70′s!
That’s like enabling the Irish people to decide which member of FG they wish to lead the next government but banning SF, FF, Lab, independents etc.. from running! You can have any colour you like as long as its black!
Another student with more angst than knowledge bravely informing the ‘sheeple’ how misled they are. I am embarrassed for you.
I suppose these chaps are what the Irish Times calls “the New Irish.”…………… Yawn……….
Irish:-S
Islamic Religious nut jobs on both sides wishing to turn Syria into a new Iran or Saudi Arabia. 236 so called Irish people killed shows they have no loyalty to the Irish state and maybe we should re evaluate who is allowed to come to Ireland and avail of state services and citizenship. Other religious group who show scant regard to Ireland over the years would be the Catholic Church,Jewish, protestant groups loyalty to foreign entities.Religious belief is for the weak minded who are incapable of individual thought.
Are these people ethnically Irish, people who have moved to Ireland, or those who have manahed to get Irish citizenship ?
So what! Irish people have fighting in other peoples wars for centuries, look at the Spanish civil war, the American civil war not to mention the numerous Irish regiments in various armies throughout the world. The big worry for Ireland right now is that some of these ‘freedom fighters’ don’t get mixed up with the Islamic Jihadists and end up coming back to do harm in Ireland, the UK/US/EU or against any American interests or companies in Ireland. Unfortunately Ireland is seen as a soft touch with poor security and a lack of military means to defend it’s own territory by many terror groups, ie with a tiny navy (fishery protection force), no air force and a small under equipped army who can blame them!
The British have been very busy revoking the citizenship of the violent religious lunatics who have traveled from Britain to fight in Syria. I am sure we can all rest easy in our beds in the confidence that our own Government will follow suit. In about 15 years time.
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