EU foreign policy chief
Federica Mogherini says the European Union has turned into an
exporter of terrorism to crisis-hit countries like Iraq and Syria.
"The reality is that our continent
exports more than imports terrorism," Mogherini told an annual conference
of the European Union Institute for Security Studies on Friday.
She said European countries should
adopt a unified strategy instead of "turning inwards" and building
walls to deal with global crises in today’s world.
"Walls are of little use when
there is no fine line separating the inside from the outside," the
senior diplomat stressed.
A growing number of foreign terrorists
in both Iraq and Syria have come from numerous European states, with Western
authorities failing to stop the flow of the militants to the region – mostly through Turkey. Western
governments fear that the battle-hardened militants may carry out terrorist
attacks once they return home.
There may be some 5,000 Europeans
fighting alongside extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, according to
the New York-based Soufan Group and the London-based International Center
for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence.
Last month, The New York Times cited
US intelligence officials as saying that some 30,000 militants from over 100 countries,
including more than 250 Americans, have traveled to Syria and Iraq since 2011
to join the ranks of Takfiri terrorist groups.
The northern and western parts of Iraq
have been plagued by gruesome violence since Daesh terrorist group began
its campaign of terror in the country in June 2014.
In Syria, the foreign-sponsored conflict, which flared in March 2011, has
claimed more than 250,000 lives up until now, according to reports. PTV. Sat
Oct 10, 2015 1:55AM
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