IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/planning-l...122121096.html


The Islamic State group has honed the ability to launch global attacks and is set to focus more on Europe following the Paris massacre, the chief of the EU police agency Europol said Monday.

Rob Wainwright told a news conference that "the so-called Islamic State had developed a new combat style capability to carry out a campaign of large-scale terrorist attacks on a global stage -- with a particular focus in Europe."

"So-called Islamic State has a willingness and a capability to carry out further attacks in Europe, and of course all national authorities are working to prevent that from happening," he added.

Wainwright was unveiling the findings of a new Europol report on changes in how the jihadist group operates, coinciding with the launch of the agency's new counterterrorism centre in The Hague.

IS claimed responsibility for the November 13 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed, releasing a video on Sunday purporting to show nine of the jihadists in which they threaten "coalition countries" including Britain.

A US-led coalition has been fighting IS in Iraq since August 2014, and in Syria since September that year.

"IS is preparing more terrorist attacks, including more 'Mumbai-style' attacks, to be executed in member states of the EU, and in France in particular," the Europol report said.

"The attacks will be primarily directed at soft targets, because of the impact it generates. Both the November Paris attacks and the October 2015 bombing of a Russian airliner suggest a shift in IS strategy towards going global."

IS had developed an "external action command" which was trained for "special forces-style attacks" internationally, the report said.

But the report played down fears that jihadists were smuggling themselves into Europe as part of the huge wave of refugees and migrants that the continent is dealing with, many of whom are fleeing the war in Syria.

"There is no concrete evidence that terrorist travellers systematically use the flow of refugees to enter Europe unnoticed," it said.

It warned however that many new arrivals were vulnerable to radicalisation or recruitment, with evidence that extremist recruiters were specifically targeting refugee centres.

One of the main tasks of the new Europol counter-terrorism centre was to collect details on the estimated 5,000 Europeans who have gone to fight with IS in Syria and Iraq, Wainwright said.

"We already have details on 3,700 fighters actively engaged in the conflict zone but that's not the full picture and it's something we will be addressing through priority work of the new centre," it said.

Re: IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

I read that air attacks were thwarted on Bath and some other cities in November, some pilots were overheard plotting by the RAF. I don't normally get involved in these discussions but, that is worrying and too close to home!

Re: IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

Personally I think people should be aware, whether the attacks take place or whether they are stopped. Burying heads in the sand and accusing others of scaremongering isn't going to make these threats go away. I think people should be aware, perhaps someone being aware could save a lot of lives. (I'm not accusing you of scaremongering by the way TessA, I'm not accusing anyone, but there are some people who think that talking about these things is scaremongering, I don't see it like that at all).

Re: IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

It worried me that I ,or family or friends could have been in Bath Christmas shopping and nothing was reported until now! Brings the Paris attacks into perspective, it's on our doorstep now!
I'll try to post local paper report when on laptop later.

Re: IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

Here it is:
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/RAF-foi...ail/story.html

Re: IS planning for 'large-scale' attacks on Europe: Europol

Hi

Yes, ISIS are planning major attacks, so what.

You actually have some very good Enforcement Officers making sure they do not get anywhere.

Unfortunately the Govt have got rid of many of them due to cost savings.

They are recruiting for more, but they take ages to train.

The UK is very good at detecting plots, unfortunately our Politicians are not very good at setting the rules to deal with the plotters as effectively as your Enforcement Officers would wish.

Enforcement Officers are merely evidence gatherers, penalties for those who wish to carry out Terrorist Attacks are subject to Political Control.

That is how it should be in a Democracy.however I have to say that our current Politicians are not up to the job.

We have a few here in the UK who should be locked up for life with no contact at all with the outside world.

Only a very few, but their knowledge of bomb making and chemical weapons is such that they are just too dangerous to have around.

I am not a believer in the Death Penalty when they are captured and no longer a threat, something that I share in common with many Enforcement Officers.

However we are realists, if they cannot be captured without any risk to the Public or to the Enforcement Officers, I have no qualms at all about killing them.

Capturing them is always the preferred option, then you can glean information from them about others involved, which allows more lives to be saved.

Cost of keeping them in captivity is not an issue, I would rather spend £10 million on keeping one in Prison for the rest of their lives if it means saving the life of a single innocent.