Terrorist ringleader got into EU as 'refugee'

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/12006892/International-manhunt-underway-after-French-police-let-Paris-attacks-suspect-slip-through-their-fingers.html

Thousands of jihadists not being monitored

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By Matthew Holehouse, and Henry Samuel in Paris, in Brussels

1:02AM GMT 20 Nov 2015

The mastermind of the Paris attacks was able to slip into Europe among Syrian migrants, it emerged last night, as police on the continent admitted they are unable to monitor thousands of suspected jihadists.

EU interior ministers will today move to tighten the continent's borders to ensure that every single migrant is checked against a terror watchlist, after French authorities revealed that Abdelhamid Abaaoud was able to return from Syria via the migrant route of Greece.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud

At a summit in Brussels, they are also expected to bow to French demands to screen every single EU passport holder entering the continent for the first time to catch fighters returning from the Middle East.

Europol, the organisation that polices Europe’s external border, yesterday admitted that only 2,000 of the estimated 5,000 extremists who have travelled to Syria and Iraq to wage jihad have been logged on an EU-wide intelligence sharing database used by Britain to disrupt plots.

It means Britain has no way of checking the background of 3,000 suspected terrorists, even if their own country has identified them as a threat.

One French official said the EU's borders were "like a sieve".

It came as:

:: Manuel Valls, the French Prime Minister, and US intelligence officials warned Isil could use chemical or biological weapons.

:: Labour and SNP opposition to airstrikes on Syria appeared to soften, giving a boost to David Cameron

:: Sadiq Khan, the Labour candidate for London mayor, said British Muslims must take responsibility for tackling extremism in the UK must integrate more with other communities.

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