Our Norwegian correspondent The Observer has translated an article about the “Norwegians”, “Swedes”, and “Danes” who have traveled to Syria to fight — and in some cases, to die — in the jihad against the Bashar al-Assad regime. Most of them seemed to have enlisted in the Al-Nusra Front or other affiliates of Al Qaeda.

The translator includes this introductory note:

This article concerns the increasing number of “Scandinavians” who join the Jihadis in Syria. It seems to be a growing trend among younger members of the followers of Muhammad.

I wonder what inspired them to travel to Syria and commit atrocities in the name of Allah?

Perhaps it’s the fault of those horrible WAYCIST Scandihooligans who make sure that the pyjama-clad culture-enrichers have roofs over their heads, food on the table, free access to a decent education and money in their pockets?

Or maybe it has something to do with what is written in a certain holy book and what is being taught at certain places of worship way up there in the Frozen North?

The translated article from today’s Aftenposten:

More than 100 Scandinavians have joined the resistance movement in Syria

More Norwegians than ever are now attempting to travel to Syria to join in the resistance against the regime. Earlier this week the Police Security Service (PST) met several individuals at the airport shortly before departure.

“These trips are probably our biggest concern at the moment,” says Jon Fitje Hoffmann, Head of department and head of analysis at the PST.

Towards the end of this week PST chatted to several individuals at an airport in the eastern part of the country shortly before they were due to leave Norway and travel to a conflict area.

“We chatted to some people that we assume were on their way to a conflict area,” says Fitje Hoffmann.

According to information that Aftenposten has obtained, Syria was the likely destination and the individuals in question were young. PST cannot physically prevent people from making the trip.

40 Norwegians

Since September last year several Norwegians, including well-known extreme Islamists, have traveled to Syria.

According to information Aftenposten has obtained, Norwegian authorities believe that there could be up to 40 Norwegians in the war-torn country at the moment.

Several independent sources confirm that the figure is somewhere between 30 and 40.

The identity of several of the Norwegian fixers that help organize these trips are known.

Hoffmann does not wish to comment on the number of Norwegians who are currently in Syria, but he points out that it is hard to estimate the exact number.

“These trips are probably our biggest concern at the moment. The main reason being that people who travel to conflict areas receive both training and experience. They could quite possibly return home traumatized and in a far better position to commit violence,” he says.

Several of the Norwegians that have traveled may also act as “support personnel” in Lebanon and Turkey.

Information about dead Norwegians

Several of the Norwegians have joined the so-called Al-Nusra Front, a Salafist organization, and jihad militias that are fighting to topple President Bashar al-Assad and whose ultimate goal is to transform Syria into an Islamist state.

The organization is also responsible for several suicide attacks in Syria, and last month the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, confirmed that the Al-Nusra Front is a part of their network.

Aftenposten has reason to believe that Norwegian authorities have received unconfirmed information and data that would indicate that three or four Norwegians may have been killed while fighting in Syria.

It is however unclear whether these were members of the Al-Nusra-Front.

It is very hard to obtain information about the situation in Syria at the moment and it is almost impossible to get confirmation about events or deaths that have occurred in the country.

UD [The Foreign Ministry] says that it has not received any information about Norwegians that have been killed in Syria.

E-Tjenesten [The Norwegian Intelligence Service] says in a comment to Aftenposten that they do not wish to provide ongoing updates to the media about the situation in Syria, as this would compromise E-Tjenesten’s sources, methods and capabilities.

At least 30 Swedes

According to what sources describe as conservative estimates, security agencies in Denmark, Sweden and Norway believe that at least 100-130 Scandinavians have traveled to Syria to fight in the civil war.

The Swedish security police, Säpo, confirm to Aftenposten that they are afraid of the trend and that they are aware of at least thirty people who have traveled from Sweden to undergo training, engage in acts of violence and join what the Säpo refers to as Al Qaeda-like groups.

The security police say that they have information about several individuals who have traveled to Syria, but that it is difficult to obtain information about what exactly they are doing in the country.

“The purpose of these journeys are often to engage in various acts of violence such as killings of civilians,” said Jonathan Peste, Säpo’s chief analyst on counter-terrorism when Säpo’s annual report was released last month.

Four Swedes have been killed

On various foreign online forums and on Swedish blogs, four Swedish citizens have been listed as KIA in Syria in recent weeks. All four were from the Gothenburg area and in their early 20s.

One of them is alleged to be the man who acted as the leader of the Swedish organization Mujahedeen Fi Ash-Sham, that released the first ever Swedish-language jihadi propaganda video in November last year.

Swedish Säpo has as of yet not confirmed the deaths.

Danes have been killed

According to the Police Intelligence Service (PET) in Denmark, at least 45 Danes have traveled to Syria to join the rebel groups since August last year.

According to PET, the majority of those individuals that have traveled to Syria are associated with networks, organizations and mosques where militant Islamist sentiments are prevalent,. According to sources Aftenposten has been in contact with the number could in fact be a as high as 70.

In March the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten wrote that four Danes have been killed in Syria. PET does not wish to comment on that number to Aftenposten.