US vulnerable to blowback effect of arming Syria insurgents’

An American university professor says senior American intelligence officials know that US citizens recruited by al-Qaeda and fighting in Syria will one day return to their country by their passports and carry out terrorist attacks.
‘US vulnerable to blowback effect of arming Syria insurgents’
“When al-Qaeda recruits US citizens they are not only to fight in Syria but to return to the US and use their passports to gain entry to US cities and engage in terrorism similar to 9/11,” said James Petras, Bartle Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York on Sunday.

Petras made the remarks after a number of top American intelligence officials warned that al-Qaeda operatives in Syria are trying to recruit and train Americans and other Westerners who have traveled to Syria.

He further criticized the White House for providing the insurgents fighting against the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with weapons and ammunition.

“The White House is continuing to supply aid to the terrorists in Syria,” he added.

He went on to add that al-Qaeda operatives are “now taking over a great many of the arms depos that the US clandestine operations” transferred to Syria for the militants.

Petras, the author of 65 books, said that US authorities should be held accountable if these extremists carry out attacks in the United States.

“If they are caught, these intelligence agencies of the United States will be held responsible for funding these groups, funding terrorists in Syria who commit terrorism in the US.”

Syria has been embroiled in a deadly conflict since March 2011. Damascus has long been blaming the US and its regional allies including Saudi Arabia and Turkey for arming and funding the anti-government militants and thus fueling the flames of the unrest in the country.