– The threat is significantly lower than it was in the period from 2014 to 2017. At the same time, attack activity is higher than many people think, also after IS was weakened in Syria. Senior researcher at the Norwegian Defense Research Institute, Petter Nesser, said so in news’s Nyhetsmorgen. – This threat is, as we perceive it, quite tenacious. Jihadism has become quite a strong movement, and is mobilizing again in several parts of the world, especially in Africa, says Nesser. The trials against the terrorists in Belgium and France will be very important for the intelligence services’ work to prevent new attacks. That’s what professor at Oslo Met, Kristin Skare Orgeret, says. Professor of media, war and conflict at Oslo Met, Kristin Skare Orgeret. Photo: Sonja Balci / OsloMet – Uncertainty and fear are in the DNA of terrorism, so it is difficult to say that you have full control. But the work that has been carried out towards the major trials in France and Belgium helped the intelligence services to map existing networks, says Skare Orgeret. Today began the trial against the terrorists behind the terrorist attack in Brussels in March 2016. It is Belgium’s biggest trial ever. The nine surviving perpetrators and hundreds of witnesses and victims will give their stories. 32 innocent people and three perpetrators lost their lives in the attack, which took place on March 22, 2016. The terror had reached Belgium. It was the same network that had carried out the attack on Paris in November 2015 that was behind it. A few months later, the city of Nice was to be hit. The year after Barcelona. The period 2014 to 2017 was one of the worst terrorist waves in Europe’s recent history. Are attacks still being carried out and planned Nesser emphasizes that attacks are still being planned and carried out in Europe to this day. – We register attack activity in Europe at FFI, and 25 per cent of all the activity we register is from after 2017, says Nesser. Photo: ISMAIL BURAK AKKAN / news He says we have paid less attention to this activity because the scope is smaller. – Throughout the pandemic, there have been a number of attacks that have received less attention, because they are on a smaller scale. – For example, there was an attack against a member of parliament in Great Britain last year. There have also been a number of averted actions, among them mass murder actions, explains Nesser. He also says that the pandemic and the war in Ukraine may have meant that we give these events less attention. Less organised, more difficult to follow At the same time, there is a view that Islamist groups such as IS and Al Qaeda have been severely weakened. Last week, the third IS leader in a year was killed by US forces. But the group is not finished for that reason, says Nesser. – There are still people associated with or inspired by Al Qaeda or IS. The networks are difficult to spot because they operate more online. They are less organized and act more like individuals. Therefore, it is more difficult for the security services to follow them.
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The terrorist threat from IS and other jihadists is tenacious – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
