Terrorism

FEATURE: This month marks the 20th anniversary of the horrific terrorist attack on Madrid that killed 191 people and injured more than 1,500 others; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at Al Qaeda’s bombing of the Spanish capital and how it changed counter-terrorism approaches across Europe, ahead of European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism on 11 March.

FEATURE: A recent report from the European Commission into the implementation of the Terrorist Content Online (TCO) Regulation has found that EU member states are making good use of the tool, with around 350 orders issued by authorities to service providers to remove online terrorist content, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

OPINION: Social media platforms are flooded with millions of posts every minute, and artificial intelligence (AI) can play a crucial role in monitoring harmful content; Professor Stuart Macdonald, Postdoctoral Researcher Ashley Mattheis and Honorary Research Associate David Wells of Swansea University’s Cyber Threats Research Centre look at the potential and the pitfalls of using AI to identify terrorist content online.

INNOVATION: Social media platforms identify and remove huge volumes of online terrorist and violent extremist content on a daily basis, with much of the detection relying on artificial intelligence and automated processes; a new white paper by the Tech Against Terrorism Europe and NOTIONES projects examines the scale of the problem, and suggests steps that could improve and expand the response to such potentially damaging content, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

INTERVIEW: With cyber threats on the rise, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Professor Stuart Macdonald, Director of the Cyber Threats Research Centre (CYTREC), about the current threat landscape, the cyber challenges for 2024, and how new regulations are combatting online terrorist propaganda.

INTERVIEW: As terrorist propaganda continues to promulgate the internet, new EU regulations have been introduced for tech companies to remove harmful content, with penalties for non-compliance; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth spoke to Sophia Rothut, researcher at the Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, about who will enforce these new provisions, and how a Tech Against Terrorism Europe initiative is providing guidance and training for companies on compliance.

ANALYSIS: Although Australia maintains a low ranking in the Global Terrorism Index, a shifting focus from jihadist actors to homegrown terrorists, coupled with a surge in terrorism investigations among minors, suggests that radicalisation among disaffected and troubled teenagers is a growing problem – one which, if ignored, could lead to disaster, warns Australian Strategic Policy Institute visiting fellow William Frangia.

ANALYSIS: Ahead of this week’s UK Society of Evidence-Based Policing (UK SEBP) Conference, National Crime Agency Temporary Director of Investigations John Denley, Keele University Academic Policing Collaboration Professor of Practice Marcus Beale, and Cambridge University Professor of Experimental Criminology Barak Ariel, highlight some of the key findings from their latest research drawing on police information and intelligence and the views of police professionals to explore new ways to prevent organised crime (the focus of an SEBP Conference session).

FEATURE: The ongoing violence and conflict in Israel and Palestine have led to more examples of religious hatred and acts of terrorism across Europe, with religious sites increasingly viewed as possible targets; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest initiative to ensure such places of worship are safe and secure, while also promoting interfaith dialogue.

OPINION: With mass shootings an increasing concern in the US and Canada, and many European countries alert to the deadly potential of attacks by armed terrorists, the response to such events by both police and those targeted can be crucial in saving lives; Vernon White, former Chief of Police for Ottawa Police Service, and Joe Carlebach, former Hammersmith and Fulham councillor, explore the approaches used in the police response to active shooters, and what facilities and organisations can be doing to protect their communities.

OPINION: The recent attacks on Israel by Hamas, and the response of the Israeli Defence Force in Gaza, have prompted long and heated debates about the terminology used to describe the actions and those involved; but former Police Scotland Superintendent Martin Gallagher, now a police lecturer and terrorism specialist, argues that there is a clear definition of terrorism and terrorist activity, the criteria for which can used to measure the actions of both sides in this conflict.

FEATURE: Terrorism researchers, policy makers and industry stakeholders will gather in Brussels later this month for the 2023 Security Research Event; ahead of the conference, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at some of the key projects that will feature at the event, focusing particularly on continuing efforts to tackle terrorist content online.

FEATURE: The recent horrific terrorist attacks on Israel, as well as the discovery of an extensive terrorist plot targeting Tehran, have highlighted once again the ever-present threat of terrorism, and it’s potentially devastating impact; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest initiative to protect public spaces across the UK and Europe from such threats, as well as new EU funding to develop measures that will increase the security of citizens against terrorism.

FEATURE: Earlier this month the United Nations held a series of ceremonies as part of the International Day of Remembrance of and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism; but Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports that while victims can play a vital role in the fight against terrorism, a recent survey of UK survivors of major terrorist atrocities highlighted a creaking compensation scheme and gaps in the support available.

OPINION: Earlier this month the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (SIS) published its security threat assessment – the first time the public has had access to the information; University of Waikato Professor of Law Alexander Gillespie argues that while the threat assessment makes for welcome but occasionally unsettling reading, having such conversations in the open demystifies aspects of national security.

FEATURE: This month saw the publication of the most recent version of CONTEST, the UK’s strategy for countering terrorism; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the initial development of the strategy in the wake of 9/11, how the plan has been updated and adapted in the intervening years, and the key message from this latest iteration.

FEATURE: Eighteen years after the 7/7 suicide bombings in London which left 56 people dead and 784 injured, Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks back at the events of the day, the planning and apparent determination of the four terrorists to complete their objectives (as revealed by the official report into the attacks), and how these events and others have shaped counter-terror policy.

FEATURE: The latest European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report highlights the ongoing threat to those in law enforcement as potential targets of terrorist attacks; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the latest statistics on terrorism in Europe, and the trends which suggest there are already areas of convergence among terrorists and violent extremists across the whole ideological spectrum.

FEATURE: With those involved in racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism and violent right-wing extremism increasingly co-operating and collaborating internationally in their online and offline activities, those who work to prevent violent extremism will need to do the same if they are to be effective; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth looks at the work of the Radicalisation Awareness Network in promoting and advocating international collaboration and the exchange of effective practices.

OPINION: Convicted al-Qaeda terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbrika is currently challenging his ongoing imprisonment in Australia under a continuing detention order, a measure which the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor recently argued should be abolished; but John Coyne and Justin Bassi of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute believe a systemic approach to managing risk must also recognise that some offenders are too dangerous to be released.

FEATURE: New powers introduced by the European Union to tackle terrorist content online includes far-reaching obligations for host service providers both inside and outside the EU; but as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports, much more needs to be done to raise awareness of the regulations among tech providers, government, law enforcement and others in order for them to be effective.

FEATURE: The findings of the Manchester Arena Inquiry, which examined in detail one of the UK’s worst terrorist attacks, highlights a range of failures leading up to the bombing attack, and in the emergency services’ response; Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth argues that in the wake of the Inquiry, the counter-terrorism community must look to learn the key lessons of the past, while recognising and addressing the threats both of today and the future.

FEATURE: Several European countries have experienced the devastating effects of often low-tech fatal terrorist attacks on public spaces such as shopping malls, concert halls and city squares; now a new EU-funded project involving police, public safety stakeholders and the private sector aims to develop innovative security measures using artificial intelligence (AI) and integrated technologies to make public spaces more secure, as Policing Insight’s Andrew Staniforth reports.

FEATURE: The recent attacks in the UK on two men leaving mosques, along with this year’s Jehovah’s Witness Hall shootings in Hamburg and Koran burning in Stockholm, have highlighted once again the threats to places of worship and their congregations; in the last in a series of articles on the PROTECTOR project, and ahead of this week’s conference on the issue, Policing Insight’s Andy Staniforth looks at latest initiatives to tackle the threat, and the key themes set to be explored at Tuesday’s event.