Posted on 03/21/2008 8:26:38 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar
A growing number of foreign fighters are leaving or attempting to flee Iraq as U.S. and Iraqi forces have weakened al-Qaida and forced its members from former strongholds, USA Today reported Friday, citing U.S. military officials.
The trend reflects a broad disenchantment among foreign fighters, particularly since al-Qaida has lost sanctuaries in parts of Baghdad and Anbar, an intelligence official told the paper.
“They’re being told in their countries of origin by facilitators that, ‘Hey, we’re basically winning the war against the apostates,’” said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Flynn, intelligence director for Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East. “They go there and find out it’s not quite the case.”
Foreign militants constitute about 10 percent of al-Qaida’s strength in Iraq, but Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, told USA Today they make up about 90 percent of suicide bombers.
The number of foreign fighters entering Iraq has declined to about 40 to 50 a month from a high of about 120 a month last year, according to Multi-National Force–Iraq, the paper wrote. Most enter from Syria. The bulk of the foreigners are from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria.
The foreign militants are usually men in their early 20s who grew up in large families and “found it hard to be noticed, to make their own mark in life,” the paper reported Smith as saying. “In most cases, they were lonely, impressionable young men” seeking “recognition and acceptance.”
Those details, he said, were based on interviews with 48 foreign fighters held in Iraq.
Foreign "MILITANTS" (sic)
Stupid reporters, politically correct, with even the STARS AND STRIPES, won't use the T word, notice? What is WRONG with these people???!!!
One of the perils of propaganda: when you start believing your own. No wonder these people want to blow themselves up after they get there...
Islam is a mental illness.
How about we just kill them on their way out?
This probably explains why the “anti-war” crowd is stepping up ITS activities and protests. Their boys are on the ropes.
Blowing their chances at their 72 virgins. Gee, eternity without sex … ;-)
Either we get ‘em there, or we’ll have to get ‘em here.
Fine by me; conforms to the conditions of my Tag Line....
Take No Prisoners, We're Out of Qurans!
“...foreign fighters are leaving or attempting to flee Iraq...”
Where are they fleeing to? As immigrants to the US?
I seem to remember that STARS AND STRIPES is owned by Lieberals...should rename them as the Hammer & Sickle?
I think that English or French should be the mandatory language of schooling in the Middle East. The Turks use French or German for higher education, because they know the literature in these languages is less inflammatory than any comparable Arab textbook would be (and because it's easier to get good textbooks in French and German than Turkish).
By using a “neutral” Western language, the students would be exposed to a pattern of thought different than the Arab world. By reading Western literature, they would start to understand how we think here, and maybe it will influence a few of them to get off their heels and start an insurance company or a car rental or a hamburger chain and build prosperity that doesn't involve getting AK-47s and stealing Western aid.
“How about we just kill them on their way out?”
Probably would be better to kill them on the way in. And just send the heads wrapped in bacon out.
Killing them coming or going is fine with me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.