Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Syria says up to 5,000 Chinese Uighurs fighting in militant groups
Reuters ^ | 5/8/2017 | Ben Blanchard

Posted on 05/09/2017 5:57:45 AM PDT by mac_truck

Up to 5,000 ethnic Uighurs from China's violence-prone far western region of Xinjiang are fighting in various militant groups in Syria, the Syrian ambassador to China said on Monday, adding that Beijing should be extremely concerned about it.

China is worried that Uighurs, a mostly Muslim people who speak a Turkic language, have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight for militants there, having traveled illegally via Southeast Asia and Turkey.

Islamic State claimed responsibility for the killing of a Chinese hostage in 2015, highlighting China's concern about Uighurs it says are fighting in the Middle East.

Hundreds of people have been killed in Xinjiang in the past few years, most in unrest between Uighurs and ethnic majority Han Chinese. The government blames the unrest on Islamist militants who want a separate state called East Turkestan.

Syria's ambassador in Beijing, Imad Moustapha, told Reuters on the sidelines of a business forum that while some of the Uighurs were fighting with Islamic State, most were fighting "under their own banner" to promote their separatist cause.

(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Syria
KEYWORDS: alqaedachina; china; chinesemuslims; syria; terrorism; uighurs; wiggers

1 posted on 05/09/2017 5:57:45 AM PDT by mac_truck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

And it’s not even Wednesday!

Love, Mark


2 posted on 05/09/2017 5:59:53 AM PDT by NonValueAdded (#DeplorableMe #BitterClinger #HillNO! #cishet #MyPresident #MAGA #Winning)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

China would be happy if every Chinese Muslim went to fight in Syria. They probably wont be allowed back.


3 posted on 05/09/2017 6:01:32 AM PDT by Jonty30 (What Islam and secularism have in common is that they are both death cults)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

I’m more concerned by all of the Iranians and Hezbollah members fighting there, trying out all of their new weapons systems.


4 posted on 05/09/2017 6:01:34 AM PDT by OldGuard1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

There were a bunch of Uighers captured in AFG after the invasion, and a group of Uighers and Uzbeks (Tohir Yuldashev) kept fighting for the Waziristan (Taliban) warlords till just a few years ago. They either died or got too old to keep fighting.


5 posted on 05/09/2017 6:01:45 AM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Are the US and our allies still sticking to the story that what happened in Syria is a popular uprising of Syrians against Assad?


6 posted on 05/09/2017 6:02:37 AM PDT by grania (only a pawn in their game)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OldGuard1

At least they’re testing them on ISIS and Al Qaeda
Sounds like Syria is trying to get China to up their support


7 posted on 05/09/2017 6:05:18 AM PDT by silverleaf (We voted for change, not leftover change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: grania

Ding ding ding

The so- called “ civil war”


8 posted on 05/09/2017 6:06:39 AM PDT by silverleaf (We voted for change, not leftover change)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Duh oh!

That should concern everyone


9 posted on 05/09/2017 6:09:33 AM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jonty30
China would be happy if every Chinese Muslim went to fight in Syria.

As long as they die there, you're probably right.

10 posted on 05/09/2017 6:18:38 AM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck
... violence-prone far western region ...

So it's the region that's violence-prone.
Glad they made that clear, one might otherwise suspect a certain group of people.

11 posted on 05/09/2017 6:36:47 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

And you wonder why the Chinese government is aggressively going after the Uighurs in Xinjiang.


12 posted on 05/09/2017 6:47:30 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: OldGuard1
I heard the real front line fighters on Iran side contains a lot of Hazara mercenaries. Is Iran running a mixed force of Hazara, Hezbollah, and Shiite Iraqi Militia? So how many real Iranians are there?
13 posted on 05/09/2017 7:00:20 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster (dead parakeet + lost fishing gear = freep all day)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: RayChuang88

The government of China has been pursuing Uighurs ever since the first numbers trained in camps in Afghanistan began their return to China in the late 1980s.


14 posted on 05/09/2017 7:54:21 AM PDT by Bookshelf
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: mac_truck

Well all the Syrians hit the road and some idiot has to do their fighting


15 posted on 05/09/2017 8:05:15 AM PDT by butlerweave
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: grania
Are the US and our allies still sticking to the story that what happened in Syria is a popular uprising of Syrians against Assad?

I'd like to see someone ask Gen. Mattis that question.

16 posted on 05/09/2017 8:11:12 AM PDT by mac_truck (aide toi et dieu t'aidera)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: OldGuard1

You are more concerned with groups that are protecting Christian communities from genocide than the al-Qaeda terrorists who are persecuting Christians?


17 posted on 05/09/2017 10:23:58 AM PDT by WatchungEagle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: OldGuard1

What happened to this site that Hezbollah and Iran are now held up as heroes of the people? They’re an anti-US axis that’s growing. Yeah, they’re hitting a mix of al-Qaeda and non-al-Qaeda fighters, but doing so to support one of the most anti-US and anti-Israel leaders in the Middle East - and meanwhile they’ve been effectively strengthening ISIS, the biggest terrorism threat to the US in the world right now.


18 posted on 05/10/2017 3:13:24 AM PDT by OldGuard1
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson