Getting a huge “thumbs down” in the nation’s tabloid press for his comments this week, Portugal’s minister for foreign affairs, Rui Machete, has admitted Portugal has “no concrete data” on the number of Portuguese who have gone to fight for Islamic State in conflict zones.
His comments came as Spain has revealed 126 nationals are believed to have left the country to fight for IS.
Machete was in Madrid when he dropped his bombshell, simply affirming that Portugal retains “reasonable control” over terrorists that return to Portuguese soil.
As a joint Público-Sunday Times investigation revealed earlier this summer, a number of Portuguese are thought to have well-established roles within IS, some even being involved in gruesome execution videos.
Article courtesy of the Portugal Resident http://portugalresident.com/
Comments
The repeatedly failed Illicit Gains legislation just a recent example. The law applying here is in not allowing criminal or missing person searches to identify the individual gone missing. So any number of Jihadists could be on the move in and out of Portugal's eternally porous borders.
Another example that reaches the heights of incredulity concerns the police guard at the gates of Ricardo Salgardo. Ex.head of the collapsed Banco Espirito Santo.
On national TV we learn that the police have no instructions to stop and search anyone entering or leaving the bankers estate. And that the Espirito Santo chapel is open to all and sundry.
Can we imagine a number of smart banker type suits heading regularly into this chapel ? Unknown to the police as they are not allowed photos to ID Espirito Santo family. All carrying laptop sized briefcases.
To email / fax God? But ... which God? BES's ?