Brussels, 05/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - Ten years after the attacks of 11 September, the world today is “safer” and such sophisticated attacks would probably “no longer be possible today”. That was the conclusion delivered on Monday 5 September by the EU coordinator for the fight against terrorism, Gilles de Kerchove, who was taking stock of the measures set in place by the EU since these attacks and reflecting on the current context. The first reason for satisfaction is the breakdown of the organisation Al Qaeda, whose rhetoric has lost “all its relevance” and whose financial difficulties are making it harder for the organisation to organise large-scale attacks. Even so, the threats continue to be very real, the coordinator warned, with “more complex and more divers” threats.
Among these threats are groups affiliated to Al Qaeda, in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Somalia or the Caucasus, said de Kerchove, adding that these groups are stepping up their recruitment. Another phenomenon which is complicated for Europeans is “European” Jihadists, going to train in Afghanistan, Somalia or Yemen and coming back to Europe to plan their attacks. Although this phenomenon is not yet exponential, there are signs to indicate that it should not be overlooked, argued the coordinator, referring to attempted plots against Denmark and Sweden.
Another analysis delivered by de Kerchove is that it is increasingly necessary today to use the storage of personal data to fight terrorism. Welcoming the existing PNR and TFTP tools in place between the EU and the United States, Gilles de Kerchove predicted the need to “collect more and more personal data”, in the future, “not to be Big Brother”, but to protect the safety of the Europeans still further. Gilles de Kerchove, who is aware that these issues of privacy are highly sensitive at the European Parliament, chose this context to plead for a tightened-up data protection regime. (S.P./transl.fl)