Radical Islam Strikes at the Heart of Europe
Is the U.S. next? What measures should we and our allies
implement to prevent the Jihad from striking here?
– Tyrus W. Cobb
The West’s worst fears were realized in the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in which radicalized Muslims struck a “soft target” in response to alleged vilification of the Prophet Muhammad. The two brothers responsible for the attack on the satirical magazine, Cherif and Said Kouachi, may be just the first wave of angry Muslims to attack companies, institutions and individuals who are viewed as blaspheming Islam.
The Kouachi brothers are not sudden converts to a radical vision of Islam. Both have terrorist ties that go back several years. Cherif, apparently motivated by outrage against the U.S. invasion of Iraq and prisoner abuse at the Abu Ghraib prison, joined a Paris-based group known as the “19th Arrondissement Network”. He attempted to flee to Iraq to fight against the Americans alongside Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in 2005, but was stopped and arrested by French police. He, and his older brother Said, were well known by law enforcement for their ties to terrorist organizations, and were under occasional surveillance. But, so were about 4,000 others in France alone, and maintaining constant monitoring of such a large swath of the populace is challenging if not impossible.
The brothers are representative of a growing and dangerous phenomenon in Europe, the radicalization of young Muslims, many of whom have spent most of their lives on the continent and are citizens of France or other European countries. They have come under the influence of well organized recruitment networks, listen to sermons in Mosques led by dedicated Islamists, and are subject to constant anti-US and Europe propaganda fomented by highly sophisticated media outlets—including social media platforms.
In fact, radical Jihadist groups have mastered the art of communications. Perhaps Inspire magazine is the most sophisticated, a flashy outlet with state of the art graphics and cartoons. This is the magazine that is usually subtle in its message, but also called for the killing of Charlie Hebdo’s editor.
There are tens of thousands of jihadist videos on You Tube as well, including many by Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born leader of AQAP who was killed by a U.S. drone strike.
The radicalized young Muslims have, until now, for the most part focused on going to Mideast battlegrounds to join the Jihad there. French authorities believe that at least 700 French jihadists (all French citizens) are now fighting in Middle East and North Africa. They have noted a surge in emigration to the battlefields by the apparent successes and galvanizing mission proclaimed by the Islamic State, and earlier by Al Nusra, Al Qaeda, AQAP, and other militant groups.
The Next Islamist Rampage May Well Happen in the U.S.
The more immediate challenge now is not the radicalized young Muslim men going off to fight against the infidels in conflicts in remote areas, wars that often put factions within Islam against one another, particularly Sunni against Shia. The threat now has morphed into attacks in Europe against Western laws, customs and institutions. For example, in France, a group known as Forsane Alizza (Knights of Pride), has a mission to convert France to an “Islamic caliphate”, and advocates the imposition of Sharia law (worldwide as well as in France). The impetus? Apparently a French law banning the wearing of the veil in public, an action that motivated jihadist groups all over the world.
No one should think that France alone has a unique Jihadist challenge. We know that Islamic State militants have an objective to extend their mandate and influence beyond the Middle East. They are now plotting attacks in Britain, as well as America, using very sophisticated social media platforms to sharpen their communications effectiveness. The key question raised by the attacks in Paris is whether this presages a new offensive by homegrown militants, many carrying US or European passports, who are inspired by ISIL, Al Qaeda, or other Muslim extremist groups.
The answer is certainly, “Yes”. Many Americans and Europeans have flocked to the battlegrounds of the Middle East, particularly to Syria, which has become a training ground for a global jihad. It is well known that AQ terrorists trained in Syria are planning mass casualty attacks against the West. ISIS is doing the same, as is AQAP, Al Nusra and others.
The United States is not immune to these threats, even though many like to think of this as a European problem brought about by lax immigration restrictions and a desire to bring in “gastarbeiters” to do menial labor for an aging white population. Already Somalis who settled in Minnesota are heading back to the conflicts in the Mid-East; they are not alone. And, of course, the Tsarnayev brothers in Boston, were drawn to radicalization even without much training abroad.
Britain’s MI5 chief has warned that AQ militants in Syria are plotting attacks that would inflict mass casualties in the West, perhaps against transportation systems, perhaps major sporting events, perhaps appearances by major political figures. The intent would be to “inflict large-scale loss of lives” by hitting targets which have significant concentrations of people and are hard to defend—subways, soccer contests, rock concerts, the Super Bowl, etc.
Dedicated Islamists don’t need to look far for instructions regarding bomb-making or targets. Inspire Magazine recently encouraged its readers to consider attacks in the Washington, D.C., area, seen as a “ripe target for its symbolic importance”. Inspire instructs its readers to focus on restaurants and bars in the trendy Georgetown area, and DC suburbs. The articles identify key dates for large gatherings and helpfully provides state of the art graphics for bombings. It directs them “To be creative in your Jihad….Surprise the enemy…….US, UK and French police are not used to a frontline type war. They must be attacked!”
So what do we do to defeat radical Islam and protect the American People?
This is a pressing question in Europe, where attacks have occurred and fear is growing. This has led to the rapid rise of many far-right, nationalist leaning political parties. France may be the critical test case—a country that has the largest Muslim population, and one that has more successfully integrated them than any other European country. France has, ironically, both the fastest growing extreme right party, Marine le Pen’s “National Front”, yet the country that has the most favorable opinion of Muslims!
The Paris killings has also summoned calls for increased surveillance of suspect groups and individuals in Europe, and the suspension of many restrictions on communications intercepts and suspect interrogations embedded in our democratic systems. Demands have also been made for citizens who have visited known militant training camps to be exiled or arrested, even though no crimes have been committed. More intensive tracking of Muslim student groups and clerics is regarded by many as essential, including suspension of normal rights to privacy. As right-leaning Canadian publisher Charles Black exclaimed, “It is our duty….to crush and exterminate this malignant and evil force as soon and thoroughly as possible”.
OK, Charles, but how?
When the next attack occurs on our soil—and it will—these demands will only grow. And who could oppose the idea of limiting the civil rights of suspected terrorists when the fate of hundreds, perhaps thousands, might again be in peril? The challenge is, of course, that those charged with conducting these extra-lawful measures are human, and prone as we all are to excess in the application of surveillance and interrogation measures.
And how do we go after and neutralize the radicals within Islam without alienating the 1.6 billion adherents of the Muslim religion, most of whom are secular and moderate?
To what extent should we be willing to sacrifice our constitutionally provided civil rights and liberties in the name of neutralizing a potential threat capable of inflicting widespread damage and destruction?
Difficult challenges ahead and devising policies and actions to prevent terrorist attacks in the U.S.—which will certainly happen—will require the intelligent applications of preventative measures that are actually effective and conducted in accordance with our laws and customs.
And beware the simplistic and bombastic calls!
- Tyrus W. Cobb served as Special Assistant to President Reagan for National Security Affairs.
Postscript—I have asked experts on these issues to provide their policy recommendations and will publish them soon.