No All-Clear on Terror Threat in Austria
After the apparently Islamist attack in Villach, which cost a 14-year-old his life, the fundamental question arises about the current terrorist threat level. Since autumn 2023, Austria has been at terror alert level 4, which is the second highest. Although no specific attack plans were known recently, the Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) called for increased vigilance during the ball season and at major events.
Perpetrators Are Getting Younger
Regarding the threat from radicalized Islamists, "no all-clear is in sight," DSN Director Omar Haijawi-Pirchner reaffirmed just a few weeks ago. Haijawi-Pirchner located the number of so-called perpetrators "in the higher double-digit range," with violent extremists becoming increasingly younger. In this context, the DSN is aware of some individuals who are not yet of criminal responsibility age but are capable of criminal acts. The youngest was only ten years old when the DSN became aware of him.
TikTok and Telegram Replace Mosques in Radicalization
While so-called hotspot mosques were recently considered places where young boys were primarily radicalized, this process now mainly takes place on the internet. Especially on platforms like TikTok and Telegram, Salafist and jihadist influencers and preachers are gaining increasing popularity. Subscribers to their TikTok videos are regularly provided with content that does not correspond to Western values and the conventional interpretation of the Quran.
Often, a period of just a few months is sufficient for the radicalization process. The mostly male - recently, the proportion of female followers has also increased - children and adolescents who are enthusiastic about the "Islamic State" (IS), its latest offshoot "Islamic State - Khorasan Province" (ISKP), and similar organizations, carry their content and ideologies into schools and their everyday lives. From the DSN's perspective, it would be important to reach the very young, sometimes violence-prone individuals with the means of youth welfare and so-called perpetrator interventions before they become an actual threat to public safety.
"Fascination with Violence" Significant in Radicalization
The 2023 Constitutional Protection Report emphasizes that in radicalization, besides ideology, "especially the fascination with violent content" plays a crucial role. When IS supporters are investigated and brought to court, almost always videos of killings and executions stored on their phones are discussed, which they obtained from like-minded individuals via social media or directly from an IS propaganda source. The same report also states that among the investigated suspects or accused, "increasing psychological abnormalities and illnesses" are observed.
The Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the collapse of the Syrian regime under President Bashar al-Assad had impacts in Europe and also domestically. The constitutional protectors noted an increase in anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic propaganda, with Israeli and Jewish institutions also becoming potential targets for attacks from Islamist sides. The political change in Syria, in turn, raised concerns as it is unclear how many former proponents of the fallen regime fled towards Europe to escape sanctions in their homeland.
Refugees Considered a Risk Group by Researchers
Extremism researcher Peter Neumann recently pointed out that the majority of terrorist attacks committed in Germany in recent times were carried out by asylum seekers or refugees. Without placing refugees under general suspicion, Neumann referred to them as a "risk group" in this context. Except for the case in Villach - where the suspect is a refugee from Syria - the Vienna attacker of November 2, 2020, and other prevented or allegedly prevented attackers, including the network around the 20-year-old who allegedly planned an attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last year, were not refugees. They do have a migration background but were all raised in Austria.
(APA/Red)
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