London, 23 July 2011 - European law enforcement agency Europol has said it is establishing a specialised task force to aid northern European countries in investigating right-wing terrorism. The announcement came less than twenty-four hours after a lone extremist shattered an age of innocence and brought Norwegian society face-to-face with death and destruction on an unprecedented scale.
Anders Behring Breivik effectively held his country to ransom and took almost a hundred lives, during a well-planned bombing and killing spree lasting nearly four hours late Friday. Described as a Christian fundamentalist with ultra-right wing nationalist views, he is said to be the kind of extremist fanatic that law enforcement agencies have feared emerging in Europe for some time.
Europol’s rapid announcement clearly indicates that Norway’s day of terror has rattled governments across the region. It also underscores that the well documented rise in xenophobia in Europe has been largely overshadowed by the ever present terrorism threat beyond regional borders.
Breivik will inevitably become the new poster boy for ultra right-wing extremists. His reported links to other individuals and organisations expounding similar views across the region, gives rise to fear that such direct action will energise others to follow suit. With right-wing xenophobic sentiment finding popular support in many countries, action to neuter home grown extremism is long overdue.
Germany, Netherlands, France, Belgium and the United Kingdom have seen a marked increase in right-wing sentiment in recent years. Breivik reportedly sent his manifesto to groups in some of these countries prior to his killing spree. It is unknown whether his reported links with them is the stuff of fantasy or reality. Many have been quick to disavow his action publicly.
Experts are divided if the attacks could trigger a wider phenomenon of right-wing violence in Europe. Some argue that nationalist anti-immigration movements are a phenomena of the internet age and it was unexpected that they would breed terrorism of this kind. Others suggest this is a naive viewpoint and charge that governments across Europe have focused too many resources on external threats rather than the internal challenges spawning this inevitable outcome.
Norway’s day of terror will ultimately lead to a reassessment of counter terrorism policy across the region. It is imperative that a carefully balanced and appropriately funded policy toward the threats faced is adopted, irrespective of the economically challenging times we live in. Doing otherwise serves only to invite further terrorist atrocities.
Note to Editors
Counter Terror Expo, the global gathering of counter terrorism professionals held annually in London, warned that threats to national wellbeing remain potent given external and internal extremism when last held in April. This world renowned event focused on the threat from islamist and right wing violent extremism as well as risk from purely home grown terrorism. Counter Terror Expo remains the most relevant event of its kind and annually brings the leading world experts from government, security services, law enforcement, military and academia together to debate the issues and solutions to them, against the backdrop of a high specialised workshop programme and extensive and highly relevant exhibition.
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