As the Obama administration continues awkwardly to tweak its strategy for combating the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, the group that has terrorized much of Iraq and Syria continues to enjoy the swelling of its ranks.
Indeed, a shocking number of terrorists the world over have answered the call to fight, with many pouring in from Europe and the Middle East.
Although it’s not shocking to read that many fighters have traveled from France and the United Kingdom to fight for the Islamic State, recent data published by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a group dedicated to spreading “democratic values” in countries where the press has been muzzled, reveals a few surprises.
To wit, did you know that the Islamic State has been drawing a fair number of combatants from Belgium? Did you know that many also have traveled from Germany and the U.S. to fight in the name of the Islamic State’s murderous ideology?
Here’s a more complete breakdown of the number of fighters the Islamic State has recruited from around the world:
The data sourced in the above graphic draws from numerous sources, including the French Interior Ministry, the British and Belgium governments, the Austrian Interior Ministry, the U.S. government, the International Centre for the Study of Radicalization and Political Violence and Reuters.
