Jihadists : Europe pulls out the heavy artillery

Published on October 7, 2014

Story by

Katha Kloss

Tullio Filippone

José Vicente Bernabeu

Kait Bolongaro

Camille Baissat

Translation by:

Irena Matute

The Islamic State is terrifying. On September 15, more than fifty countries were gathered in Paris to define global strategy and combat the Caliphate. Cafebabel made a tour in Europe to illustrate the actions that were taken or schemed on a national level to combat the recruitment of jihadists in the Old Continent.

France is showing muscles

The French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has estimated that currently there are 930 French citizens involved in the jihad in Syria and Iraq. The bill debated in the National Assembly starting from September 15, aims to stop the recruitment of French people in the jihadists` Crusades reinforcing the anti-terrorist legislation. The project includes in particular: an exit interdiction from the national territory through passport and identity card confiscation, for a (renewable) period of six months for adults or minors suspected that they could leave to serve a terrorist organization or even strengthen the legal piracy, of all those internet sites that are guilty of indoctrinating young people and finding new recruits. According to the newspaper "Le Monde", with this type of bill, France will approach the solutions proposed by the American NSA (National Security Agency): deprivation of the individual liberty, behind the mask of fighting terrorism. The votes are showing that it seems that they agree with this proposal, since the deputies have already voted on September 17 for the administrative sanction for an exit interdiction from the national territory.

Italy: Anti-mafia legislation for jihadists

The Minister of the Interior in Italy, Angelino Alfano, on September 9 was talking at the Parliament for "the international terrorism with religious origin" and the danger the country is facing with, since it`s the "cradle of Christianity". On this occasion, he also announced the need for special type of legislation to combat the "jihadists next door" phenomenon. According to the government, there are around fifty combatants from Italy that will fight the holy war in the Middle East. In his letter published by the newspaper "Corriere della Sera", the minister highlighted the importance of prevention («beat the lone wolf as effective as possible - the aspiring jihadist nourished in Europe»), and the 4th clause from the anti-mafia regulations in order to take action against those who are «suspected of committing crimes of terrorism, domestic or international, or are preparing to engage this type of activities».

Spain: «problem that affects all»

Before they changed opinion last Monday at the conference in Paris, the spanish government was initially against sending troops to fight the Islamic State. For the occasion, the Foreign Minister, José Manuel García Margallo, said that if the international community was to ask for help from Spain for military operations, the Iberian government might "consider" the possibility of an intervention. Margallo also took the opportunity to remind that «there are people from Spain that were enrolled in jihad» after recruitment through «social networks», which is «a problem that affects us all». Spain has conducted operations against terrorism since 2004, when Madrid experienced the worst terrorist attack in its history from Al-Qaeda. The majority of the operations were directed to strike the recruitment, indoctrination and sending radical activists to Afghanistan or in Iraq. In August, the police arrested two young girls aged 14 and 19 years old who were planning to join the ranks of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria to fight and reward the soldiers with sexual favors.

The only reportage made in the heart of the Islamic State - Vice News

Germany: mostly military arsenal

The German Salafists have added fuel to the fire with their controversial actions such as the free distribution of the Koran. But recently, it was the self-proclaimed patrol "Police Charia" in the city of Wuppertal that attracted the attention of the media by proposing to convert the infidels and explaining that drugs, sex and alcohol are the absolute evil. Considering the latest current events in the Middle East, what seemed to be a harmless action was taken by all the media. "We can no longer look away", said Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister. It is estimated that about 400 Germans left to join Isis. In the past few days after the first German jihadist has appeared in Frankfurt, the suspicious departures of citizens for abroad are more controlled. Either way Germany, does what she does best, which is donating its weapons to someone, and this time to the Kurds.

UK: Deradicalization

Britain has adopted an extreme policies which allow to local authorities to confiscate passports to citizens suspected to travel in order to reach the terrorists groups in Syria and Iraq. This is the first law of the new regulations that the Prime Minister David Cameron would like to introduce to prevent the recruitment of "terrorists" in Great Britain. On the other hand, there are already deradicalization programs for fighters who will return after serving the Caliphate. Despite all this, it does not seem that they have enough funding to meet the current demand.