Spain, model in fight against terrorism – Awakening of Oaxaca (Press Release)

Agencies

Nobody dares to say too high and untouched wood, but the fact is that Spain leads without suffering a jihadist attack since the massacre of 11 March 2004 (11 March) of which recently were fulfilled 12 years and has been the biggest attack suffered on European soil.

Despite the proven Spanish effectiveness in the fight against terrorism, with 616 detainees since (116 in 2015) and 153 operations performed (44 in 2015), its top officials are hesitant to take credit and doubt because “could also be that we have simply ceased to interest them as main objective the Islamists”.

However as the researcher Fernando Reinares, an expert on international terrorism, there is reason to ensure that the Spanish anti-terrorist model and has become effective and that can not be attributed to the absence of attacks on the mere chance or the whim of the jihadists.

“After the attacks of 11-M and after assessing the threat of jihadist terrorism would persist in Spain was carried out a reform of the internal security structures to adapt to the challenges posed by this phenomenon . This was supposed to increase capacities of police intelligence, improve mechanisms for counter-terrorism coordination and expand the fields of international cooperation, “he said

.” Fundamentally we continued on this line, not without problems of corporatism and means among others, but so far with remarkable effectiveness. Not surprisingly, since the Madrid bombings has it prevented the commission of other phase of planning or preparation, “he said.

” In Belgium, by contrast, political elites have underestimated the threat of terrorism jihadist until recently, which it has resulted in a slow and late adequacy of the security forces to deal effectively with this phenomenon very specifically to understand the scope and breadth of the operational network Islamic State established between Molenbeek and Verviers before the end of 2014, “he said.

” the same network whose members perpetrated the attacks the following year in Paris and now Brussels. Something common in anti-terrorist operations in Belgium is resulting in depression or escape of suspects, circumstances that do not exist in the Spanish case, “concluded the researcher.