West: Syrian Militants Pose Threat to Europe, Young European Fighters Phenomenon Worrying

Local Editor

British Foreign Secretary William Hague has iterated that Militant extremists fighting against the Syrian government could pose a threat to Europe.
Hague expressed concern over the prolonged war in the Arab country, saying if the conflict continues, the growing extremism could create "ungoverned space in the heart of the Middle East".
"Syria's neighbors would be in the frontline of such a catastrophic deterioration in the conflict. But it would pose a serious potential threat to security in other parts of the world, including in Europe," He added.
On the other hand, France, Belgium, and Britain have warned that the growing number of young Europeans joining al-Qaeda-linked militants in Syria poses a potential threat for the EU and its allies."
"The phenomenon is particularly worrying," French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said alongside his Belgian counterpart Joelle Milquet said on Thursday.
Between 1,500 and 2,000 youths have gone to Syria where rebels are fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad, they told a joint press conference.

Earlier this year, a report by King's College London estimated that 600 Europeans might have joined rebel forces in Syria since early 2011.

"For Belgians, it is between 100 and 150," Milquet said.

"For the French, it is slightly more than 400, of which 184 are currently in Syria," Valls said, adding that 14 had died, 80 had come back and 100 wanted to leave.
Now the situation has changed, he said; "Most of those going say they want to fight in groups linked to al-Qaeda."