CRS INSIGHT
European Security and Islamist Terrorism
April 18, 2016 (IN10209)
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Related Authors
Kristin Archick
Paul Belkin
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Kristin Archick, Specialist in European Affairs (karchick@crs.loc.gov, 7-2668)
Paul Belkin, Analyst in European Affairs (pbelkin@crs.loc.gov, 7-0220)
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
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 5-6 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 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
"clean up Molenbeek," the Brussels district that is home to dozens of suspected Islamist militants.
Despite some progress, European authorities have encountered difficulties stemming the flow of fighters to Syria and
Iraq and 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 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
praised counterterrorism apparatus has struggled to prevent attacks, and some experts suggest that increasingly tough
policies 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 EU has sought to enhance information-sharing
among national and EU authorities, strengthen external border controls, and improve counter-radicalization efforts,
particularly online 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 controversial proposal for the EU-wide collection of
airline Passenger Name Record (PNR) data. 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 not go far enough in ensuring that PNR data is
meaningfully shared.
Issues for the United States
President Obama strongly condemned the terrorist attacks in Brussels and asserted U.S. support for Belgium, the EU,
and NATO (which is also headquartered in Brussels). The attacks may raise additional questions in Congress about
U.S.-led military efforts to counter the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq and may prompt further scrutiny of airport
security. 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).