Terrorists likely stockpiling explosives in EU, says Europol

[nightflight]

The threat of terrorists attacks in the EU remains the top national security concern among member states, with some 211 foiled plots last year alone, according to a top EU security official.

The threat of another attack similar in scale to the Paris attack in November last year or in Brussels this past March has national authorities on edge.

Manuel Navarrete Paniagua, the head of the European Counter Terrorism Centre at the EU police agency Europol, told euro-deputies on Monday (23 May) that terrorist cells in the EU were likely stockpiling explosives for later use.

"We have some information reported by the member states that terrorists groups are trying to establish large clandestine stockpiles of explosives in the European Union to be used eventually in large scale home attacks," he said.

https://euobserver.com/justice/1335...d&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=refugeenews

Only a matter of time.

 

[Oafman]

I bet there are far fewer terrorist stockpiles of explosives in the EU now than there were 30-40 years ago.

That's not to say this isn't something to constantly work to eradicate, but we need to keep things in perspective. We do not need to give up our liberties for a threat that exists on such a relatively small scale. And we don't need to persecute everyone with brown skin because of it either.

 

[nightflight]

I bet there are far fewer terrorist stockpiles of explosives in the EU now than there were 30-40 years ago.

That's not to say this isn't something to constantly work to eradicate, but we need to keep things in perspective. We do not need to give up our liberties for a threat that exists on such a relatively small scale. And we don't need to persecute everyone with brown skin because of it either.

Brown skin?

 

[Oafman]

Brown skin?

I spent the weekend with my previously tolerant mother, who it appears has recently become a rabid Islamaphobe, due to the 'constant terror attacks'. So I'm on a bit of a downer about this.

FYI, she was unable to explain why she didn't develop a similar hatred for all Irish people during the 70s.

 

[nightflight]

I spent the weekend with my previously tolerant mother, who it appears has recently become a rabid Islamaphobe, due to the 'constant terror attacks'. So I'm on a bit of a downer about this.

FYI, she was unable to explain why she didn't develop a similar hatred for all Irish people during the 70s.

There will be more terror attacks, count on it.

 

[Oafman]

There will be more terror attacks, count on it.

Undoubtedly. That doesn't affect anything I've written.

 

[TheBear]

Amazing. The first response, in almost a knee-jerk/defensive reaction, is an attempt to minimize the threat. Wow.

 

[Oafman]

Amazing. The first response, in almost a knee-jerk/defensive reaction, is an attempt to minimize the threat. Wow.

I'm sick of the loss of perspective, which justifies the reduction of our liberties, encourages a climate of fear and leads to prejudice. You should be too.

 

[TheBear]

It's not about liberty or about fear. It's about vigilance and prevention. It's about government preparedness, resources, intelligence, inter-agency communication and coordination. If none of that was in play, if people remained in complete and utter denial about the threats, if government agencies kept their heads buried in the sand, there wouldn't be 211 foiled plots last year alone, and your fancy little chart would be carpet bombed with many more deaths. There are two extremes in the approach to all this - 1) The sky is falling. 2) Nothing to see here. Neither are appropriate or helpful. How about we arrive at a reasoned balance.

 

[Oafman]

It's not about liberty or about fear. It's about vigilance and prevention. It's about government preparedness, resources, intelligence, inter-agency communication and coordination. If none of that was in play, if people remained in complete and utter denial about the threats, if government agencies kept their heads buried in the sand, there wouldn't be 211 foiled plots last year alone, and your fancy little chart would be carpet bombed with many more deaths. There are two extremes in the approach to all this - 1) The sky is falling. 2) Nothing to see here. Neither are appropriate or helpful. How about we arrive at a reasoned balance.

Oi! It's me that's advocating the reasoned balanced response!

Like I said in post #2, "That's not to say this isn't something to constantly work to eradicate". But what troubles me is the extent of hyperbolic media coverage of this topic, and the public opinion which lacks the slightest perspective. Such as the face palm-worthy results of this survey: Americans Name Terrorism as No. 1 U.S. Problem

 

[Goonie]

And in breaking news squirrels have been caught hoarding nuts!

 

[JustOneWay]

Amazing. The first response, in almost a knee-jerk/defensive reaction, is an attempt to minimize the threat. Wow.

Let's invade Europe....

We cannot minimize the threat.

 

[Nithavela]

Let's just kill everyone. There will be no terrorists left.

 

[TheBear]

Oi! It's me that's advocating the reasoned balanced response!

Like I said in post #2, "That's not to say this isn't something to constantly work to eradicate". But what troubles me is the extent of hyperbolic media coverage of this topic, and the public opinion which lacks the slightest perspective. Such as the face palm-worthy results of this survey: Americans Name Terrorism as No. 1 U.S. Problem

Up til November 2015, only 2-3% of Americans named terrorism as the number one US problem. Mid December 2015, that number jumped to 16%. What happened in that time period? Also, if Gallop was to take a snapshot today, where do you think that number would be?

 

[GoldenBoy89]

But that seems so unlike them...

 

[nightflight]

Terrorist organizations aren't run by stupid people. They read the times and know who they are dealing with. They know vast swaths of western Europe are filled with people who's greatest fear is to be called "bigots" or "Islamophobes". There's no need to go all out in a "total war" of terrorism when the population is soft enough to capitulate.

 

[Sistrin]

And we don't need to persecute everyone with brown skin because of it either.

Islam is a religion, not a race.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Islam is a religion, not a race.

Probably why it's a good reason to not associate brown skin with a specific religion.

 

[nightflight]

Probably why it's a good reason to not associate brown skin with a specific religion.

Yes, I wish progressives would stop doing that.

 

[GoldenBoy89]

Yes, I wish progressives would stop doing that.

But then, what would you have to talk about on here?