'Self-Inflicted' Terrorist Threat Against West Grows, More Attacks Predicted

There will be more terrorist attacks by radical Islamists against the West in the coming years, warns a Norwegian researcher. In his opinion, Western countries themselves must take at least some of the blame for the increased terror risk.

According to Norwegian terror researcher Nikolai Sitter, professor of public policy at the Central European University in Budapest, who predicted a surge in terrorist attacks, the terrorist threat against the West is largely self-inflicted.

"Had not Western countries entered Iraq, Daesh [ISIS/ISIL] and other Islamist terrorists would have never gained such extensive support. We share therefore indirect blame for the increased terrorist risks that affect us now," Nikolai Sitter told Norwegian national broadcaster NRK.

Sitter predicted a marked increase in the number of terrorist attacks against Western Europe and the US in the coming years. According to Sitter, the attacks will be masterminded and performed by militant Islamists. Sitter identified Belgium and France as the likeliest targets, since well-organized terrorist groups already reportedly gained foothold there.

According to the Norwegian researcher, Germany and the UK also counted as vulnerable countries, yet were rather facing threats from unconnected terrorist sympathizers, who act on their own without any support from a larger network. The same threat from radicalized "loners" applied to Norway and other Nordic countries.

Stephen Reicher, a professor of political psychology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, argued that people's fear of terrorism is being constantly exploited and exaggerated.

"The problem is that we have a culture that constantly tells us that we are in danger. Every time one arrives at the airport, one goes through various security checks which all suggest a high risk. Public buildings are protected by security fences and surveillance cameras. We live in culture of fear, where fear permeates daily life," Reicher told NRK.

According to Reicher, political leaders purposefully kindle people's uncertainty by magnifying fears in political debates, as a result of which fear has become a powerful political weapon. In reality, the number of the victims of terrorism in the West is low, Reicher argued.

"When you look at how many people are killed in terror in Europe and the US, the numbers are in fact very low. People in the Middle East are those who should be really worried," Reicher said.

According to figures from the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) and Uppsala University, only half a percent of terrorist killings happened in Europe. Nevertheless, terrorism remains one of the biggest dangers for the general public.

Nikolai Sitter is also a professor of political economy at the Norwegian Business School (BI). His research interests include EU public policy, terrorism and political violence. At present, Sitter is working on his book History of Terrorism: Attacks and Counterterrorism From Bakunin to the Islamic State."

Stephen Reicher is the former head of the School of Psychology at the University of St. Andrews. He completed his PhD degree at the University of Bristol and is former chief editor of the British Journal of Social Psychology, and a consultant editor for a number of journals including Scientific American Mind.

 

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