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Hotel California: Jihadists From Caucasus Arrive In Syria
Group calling itself 'The Battalion of Immigrants to Syria' promises to help implement Sharia law

A group of Jihadists from the Caucasus has recently arrived in Syria and appeared in a video posted Wednesday night on the Free Syrian Army's Facebook page.

According to the web page, the men have come to fight the Bashir al-Assad regime under the banner of Jabhat al-Nusra, a faction of the Syrian opposition that is classified as a terrorist group by the US government.

Against the backdrop of black al-Qaeda flags, an unnamed man speaking Russian -- simultaneously translated into Arabic -- said he belonged to an organization called "The Batallion of Immigrants to Syria" (Katibat Al-Muhajireen ila bilad A-Sham). He sent regards to his hosts from his Amir, or commander, Omar A-Shishani, a moniker which may indicate the group's Chechen origin.

"O brothers, we have missed many opportunities to apply Sharia law in this land. We will not miss another opportunity to apply Sharia law in this land and across the world," the man said.

"We will fight here until we achieve one of two goods: either victory or martyrdom," the man added, appealing to his audience for financial support for his group's "jihad."

Next spoke the group's deputy Amir, a man named Abu-Musab. In an unaccented Arabic, Abu-Musab called on viewers to join the jihad in Syria, stressing that it is an individual obligation placed on every Mohammedan.

Last week, British Foreign Secretary William Hague warned that Syria has become a magnet for Western jihadists who could potentially harm Europe upon their return from the battlefield.

According to Hague, Syria is now the "number one destination for jihadists anywhere in the world today."

The Caucasus is a region in southeastern Europe that lies between the Black and Caspian seas.
Posted by: trailing wife 2013-02-22
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=362735