Al-Qaeda used to be a unitary centralised jihadist organisation. But post 9/11 it evolved into a decentralised terrorist structure within which it is now possible to identify a central nucleus –known as al-Qaeda Central (AQC) and still located in Pakistan’s tribal areas and adjacent territories in Afghanistan– and a number of branches or territorial extensions.
The Muslim communities and jihadist networks in Italy and Spain present similar characteristics and it is therefore interesting to look at the recent development of home-grown jihadist radicalisation in Italy.[1]
Since the start of the conflict in Syria, foreign fighters from various European countries have joined the war against the Bashar al-Assad regime.
How many identified individuals, resident in Spain, have travelled to join the Jihadist organisations active in the ongoing Syrian civil war? Up to the present, the exact number is 17. Of these, 11 are Spanish citizens and the remaining six Moroccan nationals living in Spain. Who are these jihadists? Where were they recruited? What was their route to Syria?
Cyber cells are effective tools that enable countries to operate, defend themselves or go on the offensive in a specific area of cyberspace, and they are destined to complement existing cyber security and cyber defence capabilities.
Al-Qaeda has withstood arguably the greatest international onslaught directed against a terrorist organisation in history, but it has survived for nearly a quarter of a century and continues to pursue a core strategy. The ongoing unrest in the Middle East could potentially resuscitate al-Qaeda’s waning fortunes and it may assume unpredicted forms. Its final elimination may take years, if not decades, more to achieve.
The current face-off over Gibraltar between the Spanish and British governments is the result of juridical and diplomatic differences, in such a way that it would be pointless for the dispute to be securitised or militarised.
The French military intervention in northern Mali has disrupted the Jihadist condominium that is being established there. However, this should not be taken to mean that AQIM, the terrorist organisation leading the joint project with its likeminded partners, has been defeated or even critically damaged. Nor that it has given up its plans as a global Jihad actor.
Unless Europeans acknowledge the importance of military force and the ability to project power on a global scale, any discussions on strategy or foreign policy will be largely futile.
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