(Institute for National Security Studies) Yoram Schweitzer and Oded Eran - Both the March 22, 2016, terrorist attack in Brussels and the November 2015 attack in Paris involved a single terrorist network. These attacks were carried out at the order of the Islamic State in Syria through its unit for international terrorism, which prepared and trained the terrorists. Western volunteers who streamed into Syria in recent years were trained purposely to carry out terrorist attacks in the West. These and other attacks in the past year in Western Europe should push European leaders into adopting a concrete policy of taking preemptive measures before more attacks occur. The struggle will require closer supervision of religious institutions, heightened monitoring of charity organizations, and strengthened security systems at public facilities such as airports and other public transportation venues. The recent arrangements between Turkey and the EU in an attempt to lock Europe's gates against the flow of refugees from Syria and other areas of the Middle East and North Africa indicate a material change in Europe's attitude. Yoram Schweitzer is head of the research program on Terror and Low-Intensity Conflict at the INSS, following a distinguished career in the Israeli intelligence community. Dr. Oded Eran served as Israel's ambassador to the EU and Jordan.
2016-03-28 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive