Europe: Contrasting Reactions to the Militant Threat
Police outside a house in the Whalley Range area of Manchester during an anti-terror raid. On that day, 9 suspects were arrested. But are the French doing enough?
In the early morning hours of May 24, the Police's Anti-Terrorist Unit from Manchester, England, working with the British Immigration Service, four other police departments and the MI5 domestic intelligence service, conducted raids in five British cities, arresting nine people under the country's Terrorism Act. A day earlier, the Netherlands toughened its anti-terrorism stance, passing laws to give authorities greater leeway in dealing with suspects. While Britain, the Netherlands and other countries in Western Europe are reacting to the militant threat in their midst, France remains relatively complacent to its growing problem.
The British raids, which began at 3 a.m. local time, took place in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Middlesbrough. Authorities later released two of the detainees, but are holding five people on suspicion of immigration violations and two on suspicion of supporting terrorism abroad, primarily in Iraq. Those suspected of immigration violations likely will be deported.
Among those detained in Manchester is Taher Nasuf, a man the U.S. government says is a midlevel member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and an al Qaeda fundraiser. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Nasuf was associated with other British-based Libyans who were linked to the al Qaeda-affiliated Algerian Armed Islamic Group. In February, London froze Nasuf's assets on behalf of the United States. Nasuf has denied any link to militant groups.
The Dutch parliament also is reacting to an apparent domestic militant threat in the Netherlands, as highlighted by the November 2004 slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Parliament on May 23 adopted anti-terrorism measures that will allow prosecutors to approve surveillance, including wiretaps, on suspects as well as the infiltration of suspicious groups, even absent "reasonable suspicion" that the suspects have committed a crime. The law also will expand police authorization to carry out preventative searches and arrests.
In Italy, security forces frequently round up and deport those suspected of involvement in militant cells. In the immediate aftermath of the London Underground attacks of July 2005, Italian security forces conducted major sweeps in northern Italy, deporting dozens of Muslims. More recently, the Italians claim to have disrupted plots to attack mass transportation targets and a cathedral in northern Italy.
By contrast, the French have done little to toughen their anti-terrorism laws or to deport foreign suspects. This likely stems from a French belief that their existing laws are adequate to deal with the militant threat in France, as well as the high degree to which local French law enforcement agencies believe they have tapped into the country's Muslim communities. Indeed, it has been more than a decade since France experienced a serious terrorist attack on it soil. In 1995, two Algerians used homemade bombs to target civilians at Paris metro stations in a campaign that killed eight people and injured more than 150.
As France's Muslim immigrant community grows, however, it has experienced many serious social and economic problems, leading to increasing instability within the community. These tensions were most visibly expressed during riots that raged for weeks in the fall 2005.
For now, the French seem to have adopted a policy of allowing potential militant communities to operate in France -- as long as they do not conduct attacks. This has led to the establishment of several militant networks in the country. As militants in other European countries are increasingly harried by tougher laws and efforts to disrupt their activities, however, they could find the French environment more favorable for operations. Should that happen, the French accord with its immigrants could break down.
stratfor.com. . .
Police outside a house in the Whalley Range area of Manchester during an anti-terror raid. On that day, 9 suspects were arrested. But are the French doing enough?
In the early morning hours of May 24, the Police's Anti-Terrorist Unit from Manchester, England, working with the British Immigration Service, four other police departments and the MI5 domestic intelligence service, conducted raids in five British cities, arresting nine people under the country's Terrorism Act. A day earlier, the Netherlands toughened its anti-terrorism stance, passing laws to give authorities greater leeway in dealing with suspects. While Britain, the Netherlands and other countries in Western Europe are reacting to the militant threat in their midst, France remains relatively complacent to its growing problem.
The British raids, which began at 3 a.m. local time, took place in Manchester, London, Birmingham, Liverpool and Middlesbrough. Authorities later released two of the detainees, but are holding five people on suspicion of immigration violations and two on suspicion of supporting terrorism abroad, primarily in Iraq. Those suspected of immigration violations likely will be deported.
Among those detained in Manchester is Taher Nasuf, a man the U.S. government says is a midlevel member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and an al Qaeda fundraiser. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Nasuf was associated with other British-based Libyans who were linked to the al Qaeda-affiliated Algerian Armed Islamic Group. In February, London froze Nasuf's assets on behalf of the United States. Nasuf has denied any link to militant groups.
The Dutch parliament also is reacting to an apparent domestic militant threat in the Netherlands, as highlighted by the November 2004 slaying of filmmaker Theo van Gogh. Parliament on May 23 adopted anti-terrorism measures that will allow prosecutors to approve surveillance, including wiretaps, on suspects as well as the infiltration of suspicious groups, even absent "reasonable suspicion" that the suspects have committed a crime. The law also will expand police authorization to carry out preventative searches and arrests.
In Italy, security forces frequently round up and deport those suspected of involvement in militant cells. In the immediate aftermath of the London Underground attacks of July 2005, Italian security forces conducted major sweeps in northern Italy, deporting dozens of Muslims. More recently, the Italians claim to have disrupted plots to attack mass transportation targets and a cathedral in northern Italy.
By contrast, the French have done little to toughen their anti-terrorism laws or to deport foreign suspects. This likely stems from a French belief that their existing laws are adequate to deal with the militant threat in France, as well as the high degree to which local French law enforcement agencies believe they have tapped into the country's Muslim communities. Indeed, it has been more than a decade since France experienced a serious terrorist attack on it soil. In 1995, two Algerians used homemade bombs to target civilians at Paris metro stations in a campaign that killed eight people and injured more than 150.
As France's Muslim immigrant community grows, however, it has experienced many serious social and economic problems, leading to increasing instability within the community. These tensions were most visibly expressed during riots that raged for weeks in the fall 2005.
For now, the French seem to have adopted a policy of allowing potential militant communities to operate in France -- as long as they do not conduct attacks. This has led to the establishment of several militant networks in the country. As militants in other European countries are increasingly harried by tougher laws and efforts to disrupt their activities, however, they could find the French environment more favorable for operations. Should that happen, the French accord with its immigrants could break down.
stratfor.com. . .
