(25. Juli) „The numbers are growing as the conflict there continues,“ said Olsen, who has run the counterterrorism center for three years and is slated to step down later this year. „It remains a magnet for extremists around the world.“

Former FBI Director Robert Mueller, speaking on the same panel, said the intensifying conflict in the Gaza Strip threatened to further „fuel“ the ranks of foreign fighters inside Syria. „It may contribute to the number of individuals who feel that they want to become part of the fight, but not necessarily in Gaza,“ Mueller said.