Over 200 Americans Have Gone Or Tried To Go To Syria To Fight, FBI Says

Over 200 Americans Have Gone Or Tried To Go To Syria To Fight, FBI Says
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FBI Director James Comey testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy July 8, 2015 on Capitol Hill. AFP PHOTO/MANDEL NGAN (Photo credit should read MANDEL NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - More than 200 Americans have traveled or attempted to travel to Syria to fight for Islamic militants, Federal Bureau of Investigation chief James Comey said on Wednesday.

"We continue to identify individuals who seek to join the ranks of foreign fighters ... and also homegrown violent extremists who may aspire to attack the United States from within," Comey told lawmakers on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

The radicalization of Americans by Islamic State is a top concern for the agency, and earlier on Wednesday Comey urged technology companies to allow law enforcement authorities access to encrypted communications to help combat the threat. (Reporting by Lindsay Dunsmuir; Editing by Sandra Maler)

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