Prospective Terror Attacks in Europe and the US

By Sajjad Shaukat for VT

European and American intelligence officials and counterterrorism experts and analysts have been predicting prospective terror attacks in Europe and the US which would be conducted by the Islamic State group (ISIS or ISIL). Experience of the recent acts of terrorism show that general masses start pointing fingers at the ISIS, without going into depth to know as to who (Entity) is behind this outfit, as to what the aims that entity wants to achieve, and what is the secret game in this respect.

Some days before the ISIS in a video message threatened France, Egypt Air Flight MS804 disappeared from radar screens on May 19, this year with 66 people on board after taking off from Paris-15 French citizens were among the passengers. Security officials and analysts suggest that the ISIS could be behind this crash of the plane.

In a new message on May 21, the ISIS has threatned to launch attacks on the US and Europe during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which will begin in early June, this year.

The chief of France’s intelligence agency DGSI, Patrick Calvar warned on May 10, 2016 that “Clearly, France is the most threatened and we know that Islamic State [ISIS] is planning new attacks” in the country.

Germany’s Criminal Police Office (BKA) has issued a clear warning of possible attacks by the ISIS at the Euro 2016 football tournament in France.

In this regard, Director of America’s national intelligence agency, James Clapper revealed on April 25, 2016 that ISIS has clandestine cells in the UK, Germany and Italy, which carried out the deadly March terrorist attacks in Brussels and the outfit was plotting to attack these countries.

In a speech in Hanover, Germany, while emphasizing EU-US unity, American President Barack Obama said on April 25, “These terrorists are doing everything in their power to strike our cities and kill our citizens, so we need to do everything to stop them.” Calling the ISIS the most urgent threat, Obama elaborated, “Europe, including NATO, can still do more…Germany has provided trainers and financial assistance to local forces but its military is not involved in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.”

On February 14, 2016, CIA Director John Brennan warned that ISIS attacks on “U.S. soil is inevitable.”

During his appearance with the National Border Patrol Council’s Green Line radio show on May 15, 2016, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump has predicted that refugees with ISIS-funded cell phones will conduct another 9/11-like terrorist attack in the US.

However, before the November 13 terror attacks in Paris some intelligence agencies had also warned about these assaults and that warning was manipulated by Israel, as Tel Aviv wanted to obtain a number of secret aims owing to various developments. In order to revive the global war on terror, the neo-conservatives, Zionists and Israel needed the backing of the whole Europe against the Russian-led coalition of Iran, Iraq, the Syrian army-the National Defense Forces (NDF) and Lebanon-based Hezbollah, which had broken the backbone of the US-CIA-assisted ISIS terrorists, Al-Qaeda’s Al-Nusra Front and the rebels who have been fighting to oust the Syrian President Assad’s government and against the current Iraqi regime as part of America’s double game to obtain Israeli interests. Moscow also exposed the smuggling of oil by ISIS-controlled regions of Iraq to some European countries and inaction of their governments including America in this respect.

It is worth-mentioning that some EU member states had officially started recognizing a state of Palestine, and ignored Israeli protests. Besides France, the Belgian parliament had approved a resolution on February 9, 2016, calling for official recognition of Palestine as a state. The positive impact of this recognition was that EU pressure was growing on Tel Aviv to for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute and to restart a negotiation process.

Some other developments like reluctance of NATO countries to support America’s fake global war on terror and acceptance of Syrian refugees by the European countries, especially Germany and the EU rule to boycott goods produced in Israeli settlements on the West Bank irritated the Israelis.

In this context, connections of the Israeli secret agency Mossad are also noteworthy. In March 2015, Iraqi Special Forces pointed out that they had arrested several ISIL’s foreign military advisors, including American, Israeli and Arab nationals and four foreign passports in an operation in Mosul. Last year, a senior aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin also stated that Mossad is training ISIL terrorists, operating in Iraq and Syria. Meanwhile, arrest of Israeli Col. Shahak in Iraq, his admission, proving links of Al-Qaeda and ISIS with America and Mossad and medical treatment of the ISIS warriors in the Israeli hospitals might be cited as instance. ISIS which was already being assisted by the CIA and Mossad was directed to send its militants in Paris and in connivance with the home-grown terrorists to conduct terror attacks in Paris.

Mossad links with the ISIS terrorists can also be judged from the fact that this terrorist outfit conducted several suicide assaults and bomb blasts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Afghanistan. But, it did not target Israel.

Nevertheless, Israel achieved its several sinister designs in the post-Paris attacks phenomena and after the shooting at San Bernardino, California. Like the drastic aftermath of 9/11 tragedy, rulers and politicians of the US and European countries, including their media started misguiding their general public by creating chauvinism against the Muslims.

As regards the anti-Muslim policy, on January 18, 2015, while singling out only Muslim women British Prime Minister David Cameron announced that Muslim women who fail to learn English to a high enough standard could face deportation from Britain. He also suggested that poor English skills can leave people “more susceptible to the messages of groups like Islamic State (IS).” Earlier, Trump had called for a ban on Muslims, entering the United States.

After the Paris terror attacks, Israel-led America also obtained the support of its Western allies (NATO) against Russia. And as part of their ambivalent policy, American jet fighters and those of its Western coalition started targeting the ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria.

But, with the acceleration of threat by ISIS, some of the European leaders began empathizing upon the solution of the Palestinians issue.

In this connection, hours after the Paris tragedy, the Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom
said that “to counteract the radicalization, we must go back to the situation in the Middle East of which not the least the Palestinians see that there is no future: we must either accept a desperate situation or resort to violence.”

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin displayed as to how fight the ISIS and Al-Qaeda, as Russian military compelled these terrorist groups to vacate most of the regions of Iraq and Syria. On March 14, 2016, Putin’s announcement to withdraw most of the Russian forces from Syria, after strengthening the Assad regime, while emphasizing upon the political solution of the Syrian crisis gave a setback to the US-led Western allies.

In these circumstances, on March 22, 2016, with the help of ISIS and Mossad, Israel again targetted Europe by arranging the Brussels blasts in order to avoid the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, and to implicate Syria-based ISIS—to thwart the UNO-backed ceasefire agreement about Syrian war which was brokered by the major powers including Russia and the US and to cause a major rift between Russia and the US-led NATO, while provoking the Western Christians against the Muslims. Notably, in the beginning of February, 2016, in the first Vienna meeting on Syrian crisis, the US Secretary of State John Kerry had agreed to keep the Syrian president in power (Contrary to previous demand of regime change) and for a unified state of Syria.

It is of particular attention that after the terror attacks in Paris and Brussels. Israel succeeded in obtaining its clandestine designs. Europe has been put on high alert and these subversive acts are being taken as attacks on the whole continent. In one way or the other, European politicians, especially right-wing leaders and their media are misguiding the general public against the Muslim World by exaggerating the so-called threat of Islamophobia. Owing to their irresponsible approach, right-wing parties and “Stop Islam” movement in the Western countries, particularly in Europe are becoming popular by largely attracting their people. Besides, Muslims in the continent are facing severe backlash in form of attacks on them and threats (In some countries) in wake of anti-Muslim protests. Without caring for human rights, several Muslim refugees have been expelled from various European countries.

Although Israel succeeded in its secret aims after the Brussels attacks, yet some developments have frustrated its rulers. In this connection, besides a number of human rights groups, particularly Amnesty International in its press release on April 1, 2016 has criticized, the controversial Turkish-EU refugee deal by pointing out, “Large-scale forced returns of refugees from Turkey to war-ravaged Syria expose the fatal flaws in a refugee deal signed between Turkey and the European Union…all forced returns to Syria are illegal under Turkish, EU and international law.”

Protests and violence have become commonplace at the Greek border, where more than 50,000 refugees have been stranded since Macedonia and other Balkan countries shut their borders in February. On May 7, 2016, hundreds of pro-refugee activists who came to Brenner mountain pass from other Italian regions as well as from Germany, Italy and Spain spurred unrest in protest of the closure of the Austrian-Italian border. However, these double standards of the US-led West will result into recruitment of more terrorists by the militant outfits like ISIS on global and regional level. This is what Tel Aviv wants.

Differences have arisen among the European countries in relation to the refugees and the asylum-seekers. Austria’s plan to build a fence along its border with Italy has been met with disapproval by Italy and Germany.

Besides some EU countries, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, while criticizing Austria’s controversial new laws said that he was “concerned that European countries are now adopting increasingly restrictive immigration and refugee policies…such policies and measures negatively affect the obligations of member states under international humanitarian law and European law.”

A rift has been created between the West and Turkey, the close ally of NATO. On May 8, 2016, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has kept up his rebuke of European nations, accusing them of dictatorship and cruelty for keeping their frontiers closed to migrants and refugees fleeing the Syrian conflict. He clarified that “Turkey would not meet a EU demand for his country to reform its anti-terrorism legislation.”

And on February 10, 2016, President Erdogan lashed out at the US over its support for Syria’s main Kurdish group, saying, “The failure to recognise the Democratic Union Party (PYD) as a terrorist group is creating a “sea of blood” in Syria. He explained, “The PYD, on which the US relies to battle so-called Islamic State (ISIS or Daesh) in Syria, is an offshoot of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party.”

In the meantime, in the March, this year, Syrian fighters with the support of popular volunteer combatants liberated more towns from the ISIS militants’ control like the Thayyem Oil Field, especially the ancient city of Palmyra, and may recapture the group’s self-proclaimed caliphate-capital in Raqqa.

As part of the US double game, Syrian rebel groups on April 12, 2016 launched a major offensive on positions of the ISIS and were able to recapture key areas in Syria’s northern province of Aleppo. In order to show to the international community and Western public that America is fighting against the ISIS terrorists, US has accelerated air strikes on the ISIS-controlled regions.

As per CIA directions, in Aleppo city, shell and mortar attacks by the Al-Nusra Front, ISIS and the rebel groups have continued on the Kurdish neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsoud. ISIS is also reported to have continued firing rockets across the border into the Turkish town of Kilis. In the pretext, the Turkish military is retaliating with shell fire.

It shows that the US and Israel have created a very complicated situation in Syria and the vulnerable countries of the Middle East including Turkey by making a vicious circle of terrorism; so that American-Israeli covert aims to divide Syria in accordance with the CIA-prepared Plan B could be justified, which could also get the favour of the Western countries which are already biased against Assad’s government.

It is mentionable that the US-led West, especially Europe has already started a new Cold War with Russia. The US has decided to station permanently additional troops in Eastern Europe as part of NATO move to defend the continent against the presumed threat of Moscow. In this context, on May 4, 2016, the US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter declared that the Pentagon had to “prioritize deterrence” against Russia and accused Moscow of “nuclear saber-rattling.”

In response, Moscow also responded that it would send 30,000 Russian troops along its western and southern borders.

America’s former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel who had previously criticized the White House for mishandling the crises strategically stated on May 10, 2016 that NATO’s plans to deploy four battalions to the Baltic states could lead to another Cold War with Russia.

Although Cold War has revived between the US-led West and Russia, yet some recent developments have further disheartened the Zionist-Israeli-led America.

On May 2, 2016, US Secretary of State John Kerry who opened a second day of talks in Geneva, stated, “The United States and Russia have agreed to make sure that there is more accountability to enforce the cessation of hostilities on a day-to-day basis.” On May 3, 2016, after negotiations, Moscow and Washington agreed for a ceasefire in Aleppo.

While as part of American dual strategy, fighting continued in Aleppo, because Israeli Mossad and American CIA did not forbid the ISIS terrorists and the rebel groups from attacking the Syrian army.

At the same time, Kerry changed American previous stance to keep Assad in power and warned Syria’s government on May 3, 2016 that they face an August 1 deadline for starting a political transition to move President Assad out, or they risk the consequences of a new US approach toward ending the 5-year-old civil war.

The US and Israel think that before Syrian forces-backed by Russia occupy more territories, especially Aleppo which is strategically important and is industrial capital of Syria, rebel groups and ISIS should be given a free hand to continue fighting.

Besides, movement of the left-wing parties which welcome the refugees is also becoming popular in the West, particularly Europe in response to the far right-wing groups.

British Prime Minister David Cameron had sparked a furious row over the contest for the May 5, 2016 election of London mayoralty after he accused Labour candidate Sadiq Khan of sharing a platform with Islamic extremists and a supporter of the ISIS. During the debate in the House of Commons, Angry Labour MPs accused Cameron of racism. Despite it, Londoners elected their first Muslim mayor of Pakistan’s origin Sadiq Khan by defeating the Conservative rival Zac Goldsmith-a wealthy Jew.

America’s anti-Muslim and pro-Israeli Trump has become the nominee of the Republican Party which has still to confirm his candidacy. While, leaders of his own parties are opposing his nominee, due to his extremist statements during the election-campaign in wake of secret documents leaked by the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca, which pointed out on May 9, 2016 that Trump empire is linked to 32 offshore companies, including the real estate project Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower in Panama—and thus, avoided taxes. Earlier in statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders had criticized US Hillary Clinton for supporting the Panama Free Trade Agreement as Secretary of State. He explained that the agreement, which “he opposed, opened the door to greater tax evasion by Americans.”

The TTIP leak by Greenpeace on May, 2, 2016, relating to a sweeping free trade agreement under negotiation by the EU and the US has shown how US can pressure EU to compromise health and the environment under trade deal.

On May 1, 2016, in connection with the Congressional investigation, CIA Director Brennan said that documents which could link Saudi Arabia to 9/11 terrorists should be kept classified.  

It is also of particular attention that US internal problems such as curtailment of liberties, failure of the Obamacare, criticism of Hilary Clinton about contributions of election-campaign from Wall Street backers, email-scandal etc. disappointed the Obama Administration. While in wake of the election-campaign, Republicans and American public have also been criticizing the government of Democrats and CIA for America’s (NATO) longest war in Afghanistan, facing defeatism, useless proxy wars under the cover of global war on terror and US heavy cost of war which caused serious financial crisis, adding to the dilemmas of Americans.

Owing to its confused policies, at present, the Obama Administration is pressing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. A majority of the intellectuals and analysts of the West have also been emphasizing upon the settlement of this dispute.

In a speech to the Israel advocacy group J Street, American Vice President Joe Biden remarked on April 18, 2016, “I firmly believe that the actions that Israel’s government has taken over the past several years…the steady and systematic expansion of settlements, the legalization of outposts, land seizures…are moving us and…Israel in the wrong direction.”

Even, a debate has started between the Zionists and non-Zionist Jews for the two-state solution of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. On March 21, 2016, in a speech in Utah, the only Jewish Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders had sparked controversy by saying, “The US should be even-handed and must not always say that Netanyahu is right.” He criticized Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, condemning the expansion of West Bank settlements and blasting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s withholding of tax dollars from Palestinian authorities and called for an end to the economic blockade of Gaza. Earlier, in an interview with the New York Daily News on April 1, 2016, Sanders remarked about Israel with blood libel in relation to the August 2014 Israeli war in the Gaza Strip by elaborating that Israeli forces bombed apartment houses and hospitals and “killed 10,000 Palestinian civilians..Israel’s force was more indiscriminate than it should have been.”

Here, it is also notable that since the fundamentalist party BJP led by the Indian Prime Minister Narindra Modi came to power in India, it has been implementing anti-Muslim and anti-Pakistan agenda. India which have strategic partnership with Israel has perennially been manipulating the double standards of the US-led West regarding world phenomena of terrorism, Pakistan, China, Afghanistan etc., while exploiting their anti-Muslim approach to obtain Indo-Israeli secret designs. Both Tel Aviv and New Delhi have been equating the ‘wars of liberation’ in Palestine and Kashmir with terrorism, and under the cover, accelerated state terrorism on these controlled territories. Their main purpose is to divert the attention of the West from their own atrocities, while employing delaying tactics in the solution of these issues.

Particularly, fast growing economic power of China coupled with her rising strategic relationship with the Third World, and especially Pakistan—after signing of the agreement, ”China-Pakistan Economic Corridor” has irked the eyes of Americans, Indians and some major European countries.

The US-led European countries’ double standards are likely to provide Israel with an opportunity to manipulate the situation to conduct more terror attacks in Europe and the US so as to implicate Syrian-based ISIS.

Nonetheless, the above mentioned developments like differences among the EU countries, refugee crisis and to fortify the US alliance with the Western countries, particularly Europe, to divert the attention of American public from internal problems, prolonged war on terror etc., and especially to avoid the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian issue, Mossad can avail the vicious circle of terrorism to arrange terror attacks in the US and Europe.

Therefore, instead of pursuing secret states’ strategies of the past in the modern era, Western counterterrorism experts and policy makers must follow realistic approach by thinking on these lines. They need to detect the role of Mossad which would continue to target Europe and the US by conducting terror attacks through the ISIS terrorists. They must also seek solution of the Syrian and Palestinian crises, including the Kashmir dispute. While, loyalist Americans,  non-Zionist Jews and peace-loving citizens of every other religious community should play their positive role for world peace by stopping the division of the international community on religious and cultural lines.

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations

Email: sajjad_logic_pak@hotmail.com

Sajjad Shaukat

Sajjad Shaukat writes on international affairs and is the author of the book: US vs Islamic Militants, Invisible Balance of Power: Dangerous Shift in International Relations and can be reached at sajjad_logic@yahoo.com

www.pakistantoday.com.pk/author/sajjad-shaukat/