Spain on alert and attentive to radicalization 12 years after 11-M – Terra Colombia

Twelve years after the Islamist attacks in Madrid that killed 191 people and 1,600 wounded, Spain is on alert against the threat of jihadist terrorism, which has among its objectives to Europe, where he has performed more strongly, new methodologies and a large gathering ability.

The last 2015 was the year of the emergence of the terrorist organization Islamic State (EI), but in Spain, on March 11, 2004 saw the bloodiest terrorist action in Europe with the explosion of ten bombs on four commuter trains in Madrid.

These attacks surprised the Spanish security forces, hitherto focused on combating terrorism of ETA, and forced them to turn their attention to international terrorism of Islamic origin.

According to the Ministry of Interior, since the attacks of 11-M, have been arrested in Spain to 616 people in 153 operations, and works in 36 arrests in other countries.

Most of the detainees were related to cell recruitment and radicalization and some experts say the fight against terrorism, would have been willing to act not to be caught.

In prison, they fall under a specific policy surveillance to prevent attacks or perform work plan indoctrination other prisoners.

One of the objectives of the Spanish security forces is to cut the flow of people leaving to join the EI and fight in conflict zones such as Syria and Iraq.

According to sources in the fight against terrorism, about 130 fighters have left Spain for this purpose, because the jihadi terrorism has become a global phenomenon, which since last year lashes with intensity to Europe.

After the attacks of 2004 in Madrid and London in 2005, ten years after all the alarms went off when jihadism showed in France mostly cruelty and its new forms and methods, after the attacks in Paris last November, which caused 130 deaths.

Experts consulted by Efe recognize that there was shown that the lone wolf and “craft” attack gave way to a much more organized and planned terrorism.

In addition, it is increasingly associated with criminal activities such as trafficking in drugs, weapons or the plundering of artworks.

One of the challenges, sources insist, is to harmonize the legislative and operational measures in the countries of the European Union.

The sources acknowledge that in the last year and a half in Spain has intensified surveillance of outbreaks of jihadist recruitment and radicalization, especially on the Internet.

In addition, ensure that the areas concerned are still Ceuta and Melilla, Spanish cities in North Africa, along with Madrid and Catalonia (northeast).

The two main Spanish political parties, government PP (center-right) and the Socialists (PSOE) signed a pact last year to fight against jihadist terrorism, subsequently they joined by other groups.

result of this agreement, the penal code was amended to redefine the crime of terrorism and collect new threats in this field.

The jihadist terrorism is perceived as the main threat to Spain, according to a survey by the Real Instituto Elcano, a group of international studies and Strategic, published in January this year.