French Intelligence sees “steep rise” in Western mujahidin in Syria

A detailed new report in the Parisian daily Le Monde, based on sources inside France’s foreign intelligence service (DGSE), paints a dire portrait of the rising number of Westerners going to wage jihad in Syria. I’m providing the highlights of this important assessment.

The jihadist routes to Syria have expanded significantly just since the summer. The unexpected resistance of the Bashar al-Assad regime has exerted a “power of attraction” in France and other countries. “Nothing like it has ever been seen before, even for Afghanistan,” a senior French intelligence official noted.

Western diplomats and spies have noted the steep rise in the number of mujahidin headed to Syria coming in from the Caucasus, especially Chechnya. Two transit points have been identified in Europe. The Austrian capital, Vienna, is a major junction for volunteers from the Caucasus who are traveling on to Syria via Turkey.

French intelligence has uncovered another…