Europol, the European Union's law enforcement organization, released a comprehensive report on terrorism in the European Union on Tuesday. In that that report 498 terror attacks were, repeat were, committed in Europe during 2006. Only 1, repeat ONE, of those attacks were committed by a Islamic terror group.
The full 44 page PDF is: First Terrorism Situation and Trend Report of Europol released
More after the fold
the body of this diary is from this Spiegel article: 500 Terror Attacks in EU in 2006 - But Only 1 by Islamists
The vast majority of terrorist attacks were carried out by separatist terror groups targeting France and Spain. Almost all attacks "resulted only in material damage and were not intended to kill," the report's authors write.
However, Islamist attacks such as the German plot and the foiled airplane mass bomb attacks in the United Kingdom were aimed at mass casualities, the report points out. As a result, "investigations into Islamist terrorism are clearly a priority for member states' law enforcement," the report writes. Half of the 706 terrorism-related arrests made in 2006 were related to Islamist terrorism, with France, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands having the highest number of arrests of Islamist terrorist suspects.
Details on that "foiled airplane mass bomb attacks" is here: British Police Thwart Airline Terror Plot
Some quotes from the 44 page PDF:
Summary on Islamic Terror
Half of all the terrorism arrests were related to
Islamist terrorism. France, Spain, Italy and the
Netherlands had the highest number of arrests
of Islamist terrorist suspects. The majority of the
arrested suspects were born in Algeria,Morocco
and Tunisia and had loose affiliations to North
African terrorist groups, such as the Moroccan
Islamic Combatant Group and the Salafist Group
for Preaching and Combat.
However, the suspects involved in the foiled
plots reported by the UK and Denmark were
born or raised in a Member State. Converts, who
had been radicalised in Europe,were involved in
both cases.
Summary on Separatist terror
In 2006, separatist terrorists carried out 424
attacks in the EU. The Member States most
affected were France – with 60 percent of the
attacks – and Spain. Attacks were, for the most
part, limited to the Basque regions and Corsica.
Five attacks took place in the UK and one in
Ireland. No group claimed responsibility for
these attacks.
Summary on Left-wing Terror groups
In 2006, left-wing and anarchist terrorists carried
out 55 attacks in the EU. Their campaigns mainly
targeted Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany.
Left-wing and anarchist terrorists carried out a
relatively high number of low-intensity attacks
which resulted in limited material damage
against business and governmental targets. A
minority of the attacks, however, were intended
to kill or injure.
Summary on Right-wing Terror
Right-wing violence is mainly investigated as
right-wing extremism and not as right-wing
terrorism.
Although violent acts perpetrated by right-wing
extremists and terrorists may appear sporadic
and situational, right-wing extremist activities
are organised and transnational. For instance,
details regarding possible targets are collected
and disseminated on the Internet.
A general note:
One fifth of the arrested terrorism suspects
from the EU were women. Almost all arrested
terrorism suspects from outside the EU
were men.
Details on one of the Islamic Terror plots:
German Trolley Bomb Case
On 31 July 2006, two Improvised Explosive
Devices (IEDs) packed in two suitcases were
placed onboard two regional trains near
Cologne in an attempted coordinated attack.
The devices failed to detonate. Both so-called
‘trolley bombs’ were made up of a gas cylinder,
an alarm clock, a functioning detonator and
three PET bottles filled with petrol. Had the
devices detonated, it is estimated that there
would have been a significant loss of life in the
two trains.
Two Lebanese nationals studying in Germany
were subsequently arrested on suspicion of
placing the IEDs on the trains.
The suspects were reported to have been motivated
by the publication of the Danish cartoons
of the Prophet Muhammad in German newspapers;
it was also reported that the Internet
played a role in preparations. Further, there
were reports that the suspects had undergone a
swift radicalisation process. The suspects initially
intended to carry out the attack during the
FIFA World Cup but changed their plans due to
the security measures in place.
Another Islamic group:
Danish ‘Homegrown’ Vollsmose Group
On 5 September 2006, nine individuals were
arrested in Vollsmose, a suburb of Odense,
Denmark. Seven were remanded in custody on
suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack.
Allegedly, they procured material and effects for
making explosives. According to one account,
the explosives were produced using an
unknown quantity of ammonium nitrate and
Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP) supplemented by
metal splinter shrapnel to increase the bombs’
destructive power.
How easy is it to finance terror?
Relatively small sums are necessary to carry out
a terrorist attack; estimates for the Madrid
bombings in 2004 range from EUR 8,000 to
15,000. Given the small amount of money
required, the prevention of terrorist financing
appears to some extent unrealistic; hence priority
is given to financial investigations into the
money trail left by terrorists.
Separatist Terror groups:
In 2006, separatist terrorists carried out 424
attacks in the EU. The Member States most
affected were France – with 60 percent of the
attacks – and Spain. Attacks were, for the most
part, limited to the Basque regions and Corsica.
Five attacks took place in the UK and one in
Ireland. No group claimed responsibility for
these attacks.
Basque separatists committed a total of 144
attacks in Spain and France. ETA claimed responsibility
for 11 attacks in Spain and Irrintzi
claimed responsibility for another four in France
in 2006. Attacks in Spain were committed mostly
by Taldes Y which refers to a number of organised
and independent groups of young ETA
sympathisers who, following ETA’s instructions,
usually attack usually minor targets using urban
guerrilla techniques.
and
Half of the 282 attacks carried out in Corsica
were claimed by the Front de Liberation
Nationale de la Corse (FLNC) – 22 Octobre and the
FLNC – Union Des Combattants (UDC). For half of
the attacks there was either no claim of responsibility
or they could not be attributed to any
group. Attacks were committed all around the
island.
Anarchist Terrorism:
In 2006, left-wing and anarchist terrorists carried
out 55 attacks in the EU. Their campaigns mainly
targeted Greece, Italy, Spain and Germany.
A variety of traditional left-wing, anarchist and
other anti-establishment groups were active in
Greece. Half of the 25 attacks carried out were
claimed by groups such as Revolutionary
Struggle, Revolutionary Brigade, Revolutionary
Liberating Action, and Anti-Fascist Action.
Anarchist groups, under occasional names such
as Comrades Group and Revolutionary Solidarity
Cells, accelerated their campaigns particularly
towards the end of the year in order to demonstrate
solidarity to their imprisoned comrades.
Right-wing terrorism:
Right-wing violence is mainly investigated as
right-wing extremism and not as right-wing
terrorism.
because of that, there is very little data in this report on right-wing terror.
Hmmm....Overall a good first report. Some good details, even if very heavy on the Islamic groups though. It gives some base-line numbers for all of Europe, instead of only 1 country at a time. (hmmm... research some French national data. See how they classified the 'youth riots'. then compare to this report...)
Still, even with the heavy emphasis on Islamic terror, it was nice to read an official report that wasn't as biased as some of the US government reports I've read.
thank you for reading
jeff