Topic: Fewer Thugs Entering Iraq

New York Post
February 12, 2008 By Reuters
BAGHDAD - The flow of foreign militants entering Iraq to fight for al Qaeda has fallen by half, the US commander in Iraq said yesterday.
Much of the drop was due to countries barring young men from flying to the Syrian cities of Damascus and Aleppo on one-way tickets, said Gen. David Petraeus.
"The flow of fighters is down, we think by about 50 percent," Petraeus said.
"It's a result not just of Syrian activity, although there has been some. It's the result of source countries making it tougher to fly as a military-age male," he added.