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Europe’s Predicament
The borders of Spain have become inviting entry points for extremists who wish to enter Europe. This is despite the fact that Spain is internationally known to have succeeded in counter-terrorism for many years. The country’s security forces have earned a reputation for being one of Europe’s most determined counter-terrorism operators. However, this reputation was shaken in August when a series of attacks were orchestrated in Spain.
On August 18, Prime Minister Rajoy, the Catalan Regional President Carles Puigdemont, and Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau along with thousands of people who were led by King Felipe of Spain gathered in the Catalonia Square and offered a moment of silence to honor the casualties of the terrorist attacks. Afterwards, the people in attendance chanted “No tinc por” which means “I am not afraid.”
Europe is said to be the heart of human civilization. Its cities are known as great attractions for many reasons. European cities, old and new, are great cultural hubs that bring people together. However, the stature of Europe as a cultural powerhouse and a land of free people is being threatened by terrorism. According to TIME magazine, Europe is ground zero for terrorism because of Europe being a strategic breeding ground for Islamic terrorism, the continuing refugee crisis, and failing European unity among others.
The current cycle of terrorist attacks was jumpstarted by the 2014 Brussels attack. This year, attacks hit London in March, Stockholm in April, Manchester in May, London again in June, and Barcelona in August. In recent months, terrorist groups have increasingly resorted to vehicle ramming. Authorities believe that terrorists who lack the resources to pull off bombing attacks resort to low-tech terrorism such as vehicle ramming and knife attacks which are not really new. Terrorist groups see these as straightforward techniques because they not require much resources and skills to execute. On top of that, their impacts are still significantly devastating.
The terrorist-inflicted fear in Europe is magnified by the fact that terrorist attacks are frustratingly random and that they continue to spread all over Europe. It is also very likely that more low-tech attacks will be carried out in the future.
Experts say that despite the growing magnitude of the casualties caused by terrorist attacks in Europe, people should not blame Muslims because terrorists prey on people’s tendency to embrace Islamophobia. The best move that people can do at this point is to remain calm and avoid the temptation of turning against Muslim communities.
1. What reputation does Spain have in counter-terrorism?
2. How did the recent cycle of violent attacks start in Europe?
3. How can people counter terrorism in their own way?
predicament 곤경
inviting 매력적인
counter-terrorism 대테러 작전
orchestrate 조정하다
breeding ground 사육장
devastating 파괴적인
magnitude 규모
embrace 받아들이다, 포용하다