Megan Speca
Law enforcement officials all across Europe believe the Islamic State, a terror group also called ISIS or Daesh, has changed its approach to warfare.
The new tactics mark a shift towards a broad, global terrorism strategy that leaves the continent vulnerable to an increasing wave of deadly attacks. The report, released Monday by Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, said there is "every reason to expect" the group, or extremists inspired by the group, will attempt an attack targeting civilians in Europe, particularly in France, again in future.
The report said the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, which were orchestrated by the group and targeted a concert hall, a restaurant and a cafe, as well as the national stadium, marked the shift, in which ISIS began focusing its efforts outward, instead of a series of battles for land in Syria.
A total of 130 people lost their lives in Paris.
In the new report, Europol points to intelligence that suggests the group's leadership has developed a "special forces" group to orchestrate attacks around the globe, and said it has intact "terrorist cells" that are currently operating throughout the European Union.
The report also worked to clarify some common misconceptions about ISIS terrorists, including the inaccurate claims that they have used the flow of refugees to enter the continent.
" There is no concrete evidence that terrorist travellers systematically use the flow of refugees to enter Europe unnoticed There is no concrete evidence that terrorist travellers systematically use the flow of refugees to enter Europe unnoticed," read the report, but warned that people living in Europe may become radicalized. "A real and imminent danger, however, is the possibility of elements of the (Sunni Muslim) Syrian refugee diaspora becoming vulnerable to radicalisation once in Europe and being specifically targeted by Islamic extremist recruiters."
Coinciding with the report's release, Europol launched a new European Counter Terrorism Centre on Monday meant to combat the new threats. "Our ambition is for the European Counter Terrorism Centre to become a central information hub in the fight against terrorism in the EU, providing analysis for ongoing investigations and contributing to a coordinated reaction in the event of major terrorist attacks,” said Europe Director Rob Wainwright speaking during the launch on Monday.
Just one day before the report was release, ISIS posted its latest propaganda video targeting European nations.
On Sunday, a 17-minute long video was posted by the group featuring nine men who had links to the planning and execution of the November attacks.
The video confirms what French authorities have said from the beginning — that the attacks were planned in Syria. The propaganda footage is also intended as a recruitment tool for other potential followers.
All nine men seen in the video died in the Paris attacks or their aftermath. Seven of the attackers — four from Belgium and three from France — spoke fluent French. The two others — identified by their noms de guerre as Iraqis — spoke in Arabic.
Seven of the militants, including a 20-year-old who was the youngest of the group, were filmed standing behind bound captives, described as "apostates," who were either beheaded or shot in the clips.
After the video emerged, French President Francois Hollande reiterated call for an extension to the nationwide state of emergency put in place after the Paris attacks and set to expire on Feb. 26. "No threat will give France pause in what it must do against terrorist. And if I have taken steps to extend the state of emergency, it is because I am aware of the threat and that we will not concede," Hollande said in response to the video.
But the state of emergency in the country has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the UN, who warned it may be hindering fundamental freedoms. The UN shared its concerns with the French government last week, noting that the state of emergency imposed in the country after the Paris attacks "impose excessive and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms."
The video was apparently filmed before the men slipped back into Europe and contains no footage shot by the attackers.
Instead, it was assembled from news video, amateur video and material shot before the men left for Paris. The video did not specify where the nine men were filmed, but it was believed to have been in IS-controlled territory in Syria.
One of the suicide bombers that night, Brahim Abdeslam, is seen at a makeshift shooting range. Abdeslam, whose brother Salah fled Paris that night and remains at large, blew himself up at a Paris cafe where he was the only victim.
Salah Abdeslam is not seen in the video, and he remains on the run.
Law enforcement officials all across Europe believe the Islamic State, a terror group also called ISIS or Daesh, has changed its approach to warfare.
The new tactics mark a shift towards a broad, global terrorism strategy that leaves the continent vulnerable to an increasing wave of deadly attacks. The report, released Monday by Europol, the European Union's law enforcement agency, said there is "every reason to expect" the group, or extremists inspired by the group, will attempt an attack targeting civilians in Europe, particularly in France, again in future.
The report said the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris, which were orchestrated by the group and targeted a concert hall, a restaurant and a cafe, as well as the national stadium, marked the shift, in which ISIS began focusing its efforts outward, instead of a series of battles for land in Syria.
A total of 130 people lost their lives in Paris.
In the new report, Europol points to intelligence that suggests the group's leadership has developed a "special forces" group to orchestrate attacks around the globe, and said it has intact "terrorist cells" that are currently operating throughout the European Union.
The report also worked to clarify some common misconceptions about ISIS terrorists, including the inaccurate claims that they have used the flow of refugees to enter the continent.
" There is no concrete evidence that terrorist travellers systematically use the flow of refugees to enter Europe unnoticed There is no concrete evidence that terrorist travellers systematically use the flow of refugees to enter Europe unnoticed," read the report, but warned that people living in Europe may become radicalized. "A real and imminent danger, however, is the possibility of elements of the (Sunni Muslim) Syrian refugee diaspora becoming vulnerable to radicalisation once in Europe and being specifically targeted by Islamic extremist recruiters."
Coinciding with the report's release, Europol launched a new European Counter Terrorism Centre on Monday meant to combat the new threats. "Our ambition is for the European Counter Terrorism Centre to become a central information hub in the fight against terrorism in the EU, providing analysis for ongoing investigations and contributing to a coordinated reaction in the event of major terrorist attacks,” said Europe Director Rob Wainwright speaking during the launch on Monday.
Just one day before the report was release, ISIS posted its latest propaganda video targeting European nations.
On Sunday, a 17-minute long video was posted by the group featuring nine men who had links to the planning and execution of the November attacks.
The video confirms what French authorities have said from the beginning — that the attacks were planned in Syria. The propaganda footage is also intended as a recruitment tool for other potential followers.
All nine men seen in the video died in the Paris attacks or their aftermath. Seven of the attackers — four from Belgium and three from France — spoke fluent French. The two others — identified by their noms de guerre as Iraqis — spoke in Arabic.
Seven of the militants, including a 20-year-old who was the youngest of the group, were filmed standing behind bound captives, described as "apostates," who were either beheaded or shot in the clips.
After the video emerged, French President Francois Hollande reiterated call for an extension to the nationwide state of emergency put in place after the Paris attacks and set to expire on Feb. 26. "No threat will give France pause in what it must do against terrorist. And if I have taken steps to extend the state of emergency, it is because I am aware of the threat and that we will not concede," Hollande said in response to the video.
But the state of emergency in the country has drawn criticism from human rights groups and the UN, who warned it may be hindering fundamental freedoms. The UN shared its concerns with the French government last week, noting that the state of emergency imposed in the country after the Paris attacks "impose excessive and disproportionate restrictions on fundamental freedoms."
The video was apparently filmed before the men slipped back into Europe and contains no footage shot by the attackers.
Instead, it was assembled from news video, amateur video and material shot before the men left for Paris. The video did not specify where the nine men were filmed, but it was believed to have been in IS-controlled territory in Syria.
One of the suicide bombers that night, Brahim Abdeslam, is seen at a makeshift shooting range. Abdeslam, whose brother Salah fled Paris that night and remains at large, blew himself up at a Paris cafe where he was the only victim.
Salah Abdeslam is not seen in the video, and he remains on the run.
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