The Problem of ISIS Members Returning to Europe

Claude Monique, a former agent of the French intelligence agency and the current director of the 'Strategic Security and Intelligence Center in Europe,' discussed the operation on Wednesday against the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in an interview with Radio Farda. This terrorist operation, which has been the deadliest in France in the last fifty years, resulted in the deaths of twelve people, including four famous cartoonists. Radio Farda: The released images show that the two perpetrators of this terrorist attack acted very calmly and professionally in taking the lives of their victims. What were the notable military characteristics of this operation? Claude Monique: First, they executed this operation with complete planning. It had been a short time since the magazine's transfer to the new address, and they had obtained this address and knew that every Wednesday morning, the editorial board meeting was held with all members present. Another point is that they were determined and resolute in carrying out this act, and unfortunately, I must say that they acted very professionally in terms of killing techniques. They had been trained for this work and had practiced sufficiently. Unfortunately, this was a successful operation as the preparation and execution stages went well. What is the difference between the attack on Charlie Hebdo and other terrorist attacks in recent years? Attacks where the perpetrators returned from Syria and Iraq, like Mohammed Merah. Compared to this operation, Mohammed Merah's operation was very simple. He set a trap for his first victim, a soldier, and then killed him. In his second operation, he shot two other soldiers who were using an ATM from behind. In his last operation, he went to a Jewish school and attacked children. Mohammed Merah was dangerous like the Kouachi brothers and also determined to kill people, but the difference is that he did not have the equipment and capabilities of the perpetrators of Wednesday's operation. The attack on Charlie Hebdo was complex. One of the terrorists made the mistake of leaving his identification card in the vehicle. A large number of citizens from Western countries have joined the Islamic State group and are currently fighting in Iraq and Syria. The return of these individuals to their countries of birth can create significant security problems. How should we deal with these individuals? According to data from various intelligence agencies, there are currently at least two thousand five hundred Western citizens, most of whom are Europeans, fighting in Iraq and Syria. I should note that most of these individuals are in Syria. On the other hand, the trend of young Europeans going to Iraq and Syria continues. For example, approximately fifteen people from France and two from Belgium go to Syria each week. Some of these individuals have been killed, and it is highly likely that some of them will be killed due to ground wars or airstrikes by coalition forces. The return of these individuals poses a serious threat to European security. Based on security measures, all these individuals should be sent to prison without exception. Their responsibilities and threat levels must be determined. Additionally, they should not be allowed to return to society until their cases are fully examined. We also have the experience of Mehdi Nemmouche, who killed four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels three months after returning from Syria.