700 Brits traveled to Syria, half now home

[Sally]

I was reading that Scotland Yard was worried about this, and no doubt every country worries when these terrorists sneak back into their countries to commit some terrorist act.

700 Brits traveled to Syria, half now home

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  A British police officer stands guard outside the Houses of Parliament in London, in this Sept. 1, 2014 file photo. (AP)
  

REUTERS

Published — Friday 15 May 2015

Last update 14 May 2015 10:23 pm

LONDON: More than 700 Britons are thought to have traveled to Syria and over a half have since returned home where they now pose a significant terrorism threat, British police said on Thursday.
Mark Rowley, the lead officer on counter-terrorism, also said there had been a record 338 arrests for terrorism-related offenses last year, up by a third from 2013, with almost a half related to the conflict in Syria.
Rowley said of the 700 Britons who were believed to have gone, “a significant proportion” was thought to have tried to join Islamic State (IS) militants who have taken over swathes of Syria and Iraq.
About a half of those who had gone to the region were now thought to be back in Britain. “(IS) and other terrorist groups are trying to direct attacks in the UK; encouraging British citizens to travel to Syria to fight and train; and are seeking, through propaganda, to provoke individuals in the UK to carry out violent attacks here,” Rowley said.

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700 Brits traveled to Syria half now home Arab News

 

[MisterBeale]

What classifies someone as a "terrorist?" A vacation they took? People they associate with? Literature or websites they visit?



Thought crime? A religion they practice?