Forty Americans have returned home after joining Islamist militants in Syria, but they don’t pose a threat, says U.S. National Intelligence Director James Clapper.
As reported by The Hill:
“We’ve since found they went for humanitarian purposes or some other reasons that don’t relate to plotting,” Clapper said. “In fact at this point, we’re not aware of any of these people who have returned who are engaged in plotting” an attack.
“If they come back and they are not involved in plotting — don’t have a nefarious purpose — then that’s their right and privilege as an American citizen to come back,” he added.
An estimated 180 Americans have left to join Islamist militants in Syria, but this is only part of the larger picture. According to Reuters:
The United States and its allies believe that more than 20,000 foreign fighters from more than 90 countries have gone to Syria.
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