Almost exactly seven years ago, an Islamist drove a truck into the Berlin Christmas market. The devastating result at the time: 16 deaths! Terror expert Nicolas Stockhammer now warns in the “Krone” about the current risk of attacks in Austria.
“Kron”: We recently talked generally about extremism in Austria and whether Islamists still pose any danger after the ‘demise’ of IS.
Nicolas Stockhammer: The war in Gaza and the propaganda have had a huge accelerating effect on the Islamic scene in Europe. Radicalization and dynamization are currently observable. The latest arrests and foiled terrorist plots in Germany and France are an indication of this. The effectiveness of terrorist organizations such as IS and Al Qaeda has probably developed further and the situation has deteriorated. We rightly have the second highest level of terror alert.
Does this mean: the Islamist movements are merging?
In my opinion, Islamist terrorist organizations are ‘surfing’ the Hamas wave. With the October 7 attack, Hamas managed to attract attention and fear. At the same time, they profile themselves as an organization of ‘freedom fighters’, which jihadists worldwide focus on. A kind of mass movement has emerged on social media that sees jihad as an overarching goal.
Hamas is able to mobilize broadly, something that IS and Al Qaeda have only been able to do to a limited extent recently. That is why both have explicitly called for attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions. Which does not mean that IS or Al Qaeda make common cause with Hamas. The differences of opinion are too great.
Advent is coming to an end – and despite increased terror warnings, nothing happened.
Fortunately, the threats of attacks on the Christmas markets have not yet materialized or such plans have been prevented. But that doesn’t mean the danger has been averted. On the contrary: the situation remains tense. Meetings of people are useful for murderers. This also applies to New Year’s Eve events.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
