Claims up to 15 Aussies have died fighting in Syria - SBS

[slothpomba]

I'm shocked this has happened at all. This is apparently double the official/known number as well. It's just bizzare Aussies are going over to fight someone elses war.

The number of Australians killed in Syria's civil war is at least 15, double the number previously reported, according to a prominent member of the Syrian community in Australia.

Jamal Daoud, a Syrian-Australian from the Wikileaks party, claims there is no shortage of Australian support for the Syrian rebels, and he says that that support is being grossly under-reported.

"I got to meet members of Jubat al Nousra... had a big conversation with them about terrorism, suicide bombing and many other things I had in mind," Brisbane man Yahya El Khaled says in one YouTube video.

Jamal Daoud says Yahya El Khaled is one of hundreds of Australians who have been to the frontline.

"We believe the issue is very big and that there is a big network of extremists in Australia, who have established networks overseas," he said.

Travelling to Syria is not illegal, but the Australian Federal Police told SBS it "does not confirm, nor deny who it is or is not investigating, nor does it comment on matters of intelligence".

Australians travelling to Syria and found guilty of foreign incursion-related offences may be imprisoned for up to 20 years under Australian law.

Mr Daoud believes that's a hollow threat.

"Until now the authorities are not taking action," he said. "Not only this, [but] the authorities are still believing their claims that they were only there for humanitarian aid."

But experts say delivering aid can be dangerous.
 
"The concern is that once they're there and taken across the border by rebel fighters, like it or not they becoming involved in the conflict in ways that could be a danger to them and ways that are likely to radicalise them," says global terrorism expert Greg Barton at Monash University.

Terrorism experts say that while the number of Australians fighting and dying in Syria is high, authorities are working closely with the community to close the door on organised recruitment.

But Mr Daoud fears with Australians still travelling to Syria, more will be killed.

There have been three reported deaths of Australian citizens in the last month - Yusuf Ali, his wife Amira and Caner Temel. If those deaths are confirmed, the official number of Australians killed in the Syrian conflict will be eight. Source: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/01/29/claims-15-aussies-have-died-fighting-syria More here: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-01-29/warning-that-australians-will-die-if-they-join-syrian-civil-war/5225912

[slothpomba]

What are they even fighting for in the first place? Why are we fighting Syria?

We as a country aren't fighting in Syria, they went over as individuals (and i guess volunteers).

Most of them seem to be fighting against the current government/Assad. Within the side fighting against the government, there are different organisations. Some like the free syrian army are just fed up with Assads dictatorship and other issues like that. There are also radical islamist organisations, they dont like Assad much either but thats because he's more of a moderate muslim (and not the same kind as them either). They want to capture Syria and have it under Sharia law. Most of the news stories seem to indicate that most of the Australians going over (and indeed foreign fighters in general) are fighting for the radical islamists.

Whilst it might be confusing, the islamists and the free syrian army had a tenuous (but obviously uncomfortable) alliance for a decent amount of time. Recently exploded and now they're also fighting each-other AND Assad/the Syrian government.

[Professor Polonsky]

Fighting for the Islamists is just an open invitation for ASIO to tap you, your family's, and all of your associates' phones. (And 'net, of course.)

More seriously though, if that's what is important to them, you can't really stop them from going. On the other hand though, it probably would serve as a radicalising force for them. And that's not really great for us, if they come back.

[slothpomba]

Oh thanks for that, but I meant more as to why are Australian soldiers over there in the first place? Is it just part of our "contract" as an ally of the US?

Oh they're not Australian solders, they're not part of the Australian Defence Force or anything, they're just regular dudes who went over to fight.