Violence and Security

CoE Chief Warns of Populism, Nationalism

May 04, 2016

In his annual report, Secretary-General of the Council of Europe ("CoE") Thorbjørn Jagland has warned that "nationalists and populists" are successfully exploiting terrorism and migration to provoke distrust of European institutions and highlighted the "dangerous trend towards legislative nationalism" created by migration laws that do not comply with global standards.
Russian Mosque Crackdowns Fuel Fears of Violence

May 04, 2016

The Economist reports that the recent shutdown by Russian authorities of mosques in Dagestan and arrest of Islamic leaders who have spoken out against the Islamic State ("IS") have led to fears that these crackdowns will encourage radical Muslims to join IS and return to Russia to wage jihad.
UN Chief Expresses Concern on Anti-Migrant Sentiment in Austria

April 29, 2016

Expressing his concern at the growth of "xenophobia" in Austria and beyond during the ongoing crisis of migrants from the Middle East and Africa, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on the Austrian Parliament to cooperate with EU institutions to manage the acceptance of refugees and to contribute to a "comprehensive solution" to the crisis forged by the UN and EU.
Austrian Measures Seek to Quell Migration

April 28, 2016

The BBC reports that Austria has passed legislation permitting the government to declare a "state of emergency" under which it could reject asylum seekers seeking to cross the Austrian border and is planning to build a fence along the country's main border crossing with Italy in order to prevent entry by migrants.
US Intelligence Chief Warns of IS Cells in Europe

April 27, 2016

US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has warned that, due to lapses in intelligence sharing among European governments and the EU's internal open border policy, the Islamic State ("IS") has taken advantage of the migrant crisis and established cells that can carry out attacks in Western Europe.
UN Official Focuses on Hate Speech in Anti-Radicalization Agenda

April 27, 2016

In an interview ahead of an upcoming UN summit on "inclusive societies" in Azerbaijan, UN Alliance of Civilizations head Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser identified online hate speech, as well as "xenophobia, intolerance and radicalization," as the main challenges in addressing violent extremism around the world.
Governor Withdraws Kansas from Resettlement Program

April 27, 2016

Citing concerns over gaps in the program's security vetting process, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has announced the withdrawal of his state's cooperation in the US government's refugee resettlement program.
Officials Warn of Gaps in EU Terror Database

April 25, 2016

The Telegraph reports that EU and national officials are warning that differing government definitions of "foreign fighters" and diverging requirements on when to add a suspected terrorist in an EU-wide watch list threaten the ability of EU member states to detect the entry of jihadists through their borders.
Observers: EU-Turkey Deal Could Import Kurdish Conflict

April 25, 2016

Critics of the recent migrant deal between the EU and Turkey, which seeks to return migrants who entered the EU illegally from Turkey in exchange for EU visa liberalization for Turkish nationals, warn that such visa liberalization could result in an importation of the Turkey-Kurdish conflict to EU countries as Kurdish minorities in Turkey flee persecution.
Path of IS Bombers Spotlights Terror Threat in Europe

April 25, 2016

An article in The Washington Post describing the journey into Europe of two bombers in the November 2015 Paris terror attacks and two would-be bombers who were arrested in Austria demonstrates how the mass influx of migrants in Greece and open borders among EU member states have facilitated Islamic State ("IS") plots to infiltrate and attack European targets.