Via the Express:
Eight people have been arrested at Istanbul’s main airport amid fears they are Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists posing as refugees after they were found clutching a hand-drawn map plotting the route to Germany. . . .
The Anadolu Agency said the group arrived in Istanbul from Casablanca, Morocco, and were interviewed by criminal profiling teams at Ataturk Airport.
Anadolu said the eight claimed to be tourists visiting Istanbul but a hotel refuted claims they had reservations there.
Later in the report:
The arrests come after an ISIS terrorist bragged about how easy it was to smuggle thousands of covert jihadists into Europe under the guise of being a desperate refugee.
The Syrian operative claimed more than 4,000 covert ISIS gunmen had made it into western nations, hidden among innocent refugees.
Perhaps that’s true, perhaps it’s a boast. An Islamic State operative would have ample reason to bend the truth. But consider this, surely the most alarming tidbit in the story:
Two Turkish refugee-smugglers backed up the claims made by the terrorist.
One admitted to helping more than ten trained ISIS rebels infiltrate Europe under the guise of asylum seekers.
He said: “I’m sending some fighters who want to go and visit their families.
“Others just go to Europe to be ready.”
Meanwhile, in France:
French President Francois Hollande today promised that “France will remain a country of freedom,” defending his decision to honor a commitment to accept migrants and refugees despite Friday’s deadly terrorist attacks in Paris. . . .
“30,000 refugees will be welcomed over the next two years [said Hollande]. Our country has the duty to respect this commitment,” explaining that they will undergo vigorous security checks.