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Seeking to kick jihadi threat, French warily eye martial arts clubs
[IsraelTimes] Officials see clubs for judo, kickboxing and other sports as fertile ground for terror recruiters, places for attackers to hone skills

Combat sports are booming around the world but in La Belle France they increasingly draw the attention of intelligence services hunting potential jihadists. Long concentrated in poor suburbs and with no real organization watching over their activities, critics say the mixed martial arts, judo, kickboxing and other clubs are ideal for fomenting radicalization and jihadist training. Ironically, many of the clubs get subsidies from French town halls.
Perhaps they should subsidize soccer clubs instead? Basketball? Competitive knitting?
They could subsidize wine tasting, sitting about in cafés, and fashion design...
Mederic Chapitaux, who has written a book, "Sport, The Fault In State Security," about the phenomenon, believes La Belle France should not be alone in worrying.

Posted by: trailing wife 2016-05-22
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=456724