European Security and Islamist Terrorism

CRS INSIGHT European Security and Islamist Terrorism April 18, 2016 (IN10209) | Related Authors Kristin Archick Paul Belkin | Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs (karchick@crs.loc.gov, 7-2668) Paul Belkin, Analyst in European Affairs (pbelkin@crs.loc.gov, 7-0220) The Evolving Terrorist Attacks in Europe and Mounting Security Concerns On March 22, 2016, coordinated bombings in Brussels, Belgium, killed at least 32 people and injured more than 300 at the city's international airport and a downtown metro station near the headquarters of the European Union (EU). Four Americans were killed and a dozen injured. Belgian officials declared the bombings acts of terrorism, and the Islamic State organization claimed responsibility. The bombings followed the March 18 capture in Brussels of Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have been directly involved in the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Authorities have linked Abdeslam to the three identified Brussels suicide bombers—including Najim Laachraoui, who may have constructed the explosive devices used in both the Brussels and Paris attacks, and Mohamed Abrini, arrested in early April in connection with both attacks. These incidents are the latest in a number of Islamist terrorist attacks in Europe. Over the past two years, many attacks and thwarted plots appear connected to the Islamic State and were perpetrated by European citizens of Muslim background who have trained or fought in Syria and Iraq. European officials estimate that up to 5,000 European citizens have traveled to fight in Syria, Iraq, and other conflicts abroad. The suspect in the May 2014 killing of four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels is a French citizen who reportedly spent a year with Islamist fighters in Syria. The perpetrators of three related attacks in Paris in January 2015 in which 17 people were murdered (including at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo) were French-born Muslims, with possible ties to the Islamic State or Al Qaeda in Yemen. All the identified perpetrators of the November 2015 Paris attacks were French or Belgian citizens, and at least six appear to have fought with the Islamic State. Laachraoui, the suspected Belgian bomb expert, may have trained in Syria, and Turkey deported one of the Brussels suicide bombers to the Netherlands last summer after arresting him near its border with Syria. (Also see CRS Report R44003, European Fighters in Syria and Iraq: Assessments, Responses, and Issues for the United States.) French and EU authorities warn that the Islamic State's ability to direct and/or carry out operations in Europe appears to be increasing. After Brussels bombings, French police foiled another terrorist plot and several suspects were arrested on terrorism charges in Belgium, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. Five people arrested in the United Kingdom may also have links to the Paris and Brussels attacks. The uptick in terrorist activity has reinforced long-standing concerns about the integration of Muslims in Europe and the potential for radicalization among some segments of Europe's Muslim populations. Worries also persist about attacks by self-radicalized individuals who may not have traveled abroad but have been inspired by Islamist extremist propaganda, such as the Danish gunman who killed two individuals in Copenhagen in February 2015. Many of the recent attacks have exposed weaknesses in European domestic security, intelligence-sharing, and border controls. Some officials and analysts are concerned that terrorists could slip into Europe as part of the ongoing migrant and refugee flows. At least two of the November 2015 Paris assailants may have entered Europe through Greece in early October by posing as refugees with fake Syrian passports. However, EU officials caution against linking refugees with terrorism. European Responses and Challenges European governments have employed various measures to combat Islamist terrorism and the foreign fighter phenomenon, including increasing surveillance, prohibiting travel, and arresting returning fighters and terrorism recruiters. Some countries have bolstered existing counterterrorism laws, especially to ensure that individuals who Threat in Europe

Over the last two years, European governments and the European Union (EU) have grown increasingly alarmed by the rise of the Islamic State terrorist organization, its ability to attract European citizens to join the fighting in the Syria-Iraq region, and its use of violent extremist propaganda to inspire others. Security experts view the November 13, 2015, attacks in Paris (which killed 130 people) and the March 22, 2016, bombings in Brussels (in which 32 people died) as indications that the Islamic State's capacity to direct large-scale, coordinated attacks elsewhere in the world, especially in Europe, has increased. Many of those identified as directly responsible for the Paris and Brussels attacks reportedly fought in Syria and were connected to a "European branch" of the Islamic State. Some observers suggest that there could be many potential European recruits among the estimated 5,000 Europeans who have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State and other extremist groups.

At the same time, European officials remain concerned about the possibility of "lone wolf" attacks carried out by individuals who have not traveled abroad to fight but have been inspired by Islamist propaganda to commit violence at home. Although the Islamic State has claimed that the perpetrator of the July 14, 2016, truck attack in Nice, France, was its "soldier," authorities believe that the perpetrator was largely self-radicalized. At least 84 people died in this incident, including two Americans. The uptick in terrorist activity has reinforced long-standing anxieties about the integration of Muslims in Europe and the potential for radicalization among some segments of Europe's Muslim populations.

Terrorism in Europe is not new, but these incidents are the latest in a string of attacks linked to Islamist extremism and to the brand of extremism practiced by the Islamic State and its followers. Many of the recent attacks have exposed weaknesses in European domestic security, intelligence sharing, and border controls. Some perpetrators appear to have taken advantage of the Schengen system, which largely permits individuals to travel among most European countries without passport checks. For example, the suspected ringleader of the November attacks in Paris may have repeatedly traveled back and forth between Europe and Syria, despite being known to European security services. Europe's migration and refugee crisis has also heightened fears that terrorists could slip into Europe more easily. At least two of the November 2015 Paris assailants may have entered Europe through Greece in early October by posing as refugees with fake Syrian passports (authorities have yet to confirm the attackers' true identities, and EU officials caution against linking refugees with terrorism).

European Responses and Challenges

European governments have employed various measures to combat Islamist terrorism and the foreign fighter phenomenon, including increasing surveillance, prohibiting travel, and arresting returning fighters and terrorism recruiters. Some countries have bolstered existing counterterrorism laws, especially to ensure that individuals who travel abroad for terrorist purposes may be prosecuted (as required by U.N. Security Council Resolution 2178 of September 2014)). European officials are also working to more aggressively counter radicalization and extremist propaganda, especially via the Internet and social media. Some have called on U.S. technology companies to assist these efforts by preemptively removing terrorist content from their sites. France, which is home to Europe's largest Muslim population (about 5 million-6 million), has been at the forefront of European efforts to counter the threat posed by Islamist militants. Recent estimates indicate that up to 1,600 French nationals have traveled to fight in Syria and Iraq and roughly 2,000 people are involved in Muslim extremist cells in France. . French counterterrorism policies are considered to be among the most stringent in Europe. In the past year, the government has imposed travel bans on individuals suspected of seeking terrorist training abroad, prohibited speech that encourages terrorism, and significantly enhanced the state's surveillance authorities. (For more information, see CRS Insight IN10301, France: Efforts to Counter Islamist Terrorism and the Islamic State.) .) Belgium has the highest number of foreign fighters per capita of any European country (possibly as many as 550 out of a total population of roughly 11 million) and what some describe as a "well-developed underground jihadist pipeline." ." Authorities have prosecuted terrorist recruiters and disrupted several plots, including a planned attack in January 2015 in Verviers (in eastern Belgium). In late 2015, the government proposed new measures, disrupted some terrorist plots, and sought to strengthen law enforcement capabilities against terrorism and better tackle extremism, including shutting down hate-preaching websites and monitoring radicalized youth (potentially through the use of electronic tags). Additionally, Belgian officials pledged to " capabilities and better tackle extremism. Belgian officials have also pledged to "clean up Molenbeek," the Brussels district that is home to dozens of suspected Islamist militants. Despite some progress, European authoritiesofficials have encountered difficulties stemming the flow of fighters to Syria and Iraq and monitoringstopping individuals from leaving for Syria and Iraq. Monitoring a growing number of potential assailants amid budgetary and personnel constraints. Some suspects in a number of attacks were previously known to European security services. Law has also been challenging, and law enforcement and intelligence capacities also vary across Europe. Many observers view the fact that it took Belgian services four months to find Abdeslam as indicative of serious shortcomings in Belgian counterterrorism policies. However, even France's widely capacities vary across Europe. While Belgium's counterterrorism policies have been criticized as insufficient, even France's widely praised counterterrorism apparatus has struggled to prevent attacks, and some. Some experts suggest that increasingly tough policies policies in France and elsewhere targeting Muslims could further alienate them, exacerbating the potential for radicalization. Critics argue that efforts to integrate Muslims in Belgium and France have been largely unsuccessful. Analysts assert that more must be done at the EU level given the Schengen system, which largely permits individuals to travel without passport checks among most European countries. The . The EU has sought tosought to enhance information-sharing sharing among national and EU authorities, strengthen external border controls, and improve counter-radicalization efforts, particularly onlineonline and in prisons. However, implementation of some initiatives has been slowed by national sovereignty concerns, law enforcement barriers to sharing sensitive information, and civil liberty protections. In December 2015, the EU reached provisional agreement on a April 2016, the EU adopted a long-standing and controversial proposal for the EU-wide collection of airline Passenger Name Record (PNR) data. Critics contend. Although the EU PNR system is expected to receive final approval in late April, critics contend that it will infringe too much on privacy rights and does not go far enough in ensuring that PNR data is meaningfully shared. Issues for the United States President Obama strongly President Obama strongly condemned the latest terrorist attacks in Brussels and asserted U.S. support for Belgium, the EU, and NATO (which is also headquartered in Brussels). The attacksattack in Nice and reasserted U.S. support for France. The spate of terrorist attacks in Europe may raise additional questions in Congress about U.S.-led military efforts to counter the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and. The attacks also may prompt further scrutiny of airport securitylaw enforcement measures against terrorism and U.S. initiatives to counter violent extremism, both at home and abroad. Some Members of Congress remain concerned that Europeans fighting with Islamist extremist groups abroad could enter the United States under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows short-term, visa-free travel for citizens of most European countries (see CRS Report RL32221, Visa Waiver Program). U.S. policymakers underscore the importance of maintaining close U.S.-EU counterterrorism cooperation in light of the Islamist terrorist threat and the foreign fighter phenomenon (see CRS Report RS22030, U.S.-EU Cooperation Against Terrorism). ).