Terrorist threat will continue 'for many years to come'
- 9 years ago
Daniel Benjamin was the US State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism from 2009 to 2012. He explains what is likely to change in France and Europe after the Paris attacks. He defends the Passenger Name Record (PNR) system, currently blocked in Europe by the European Parliament, saying that concerns over piracy are "overstated".
Daniel Benjamin mentions the role of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 in motivating the Kouachi brothers to resort to terrorism. He defends US President Barack Obama's decision to let local forces take on the Islamic State group in Iraq as "the smart way to go".
However, he adds that in the light of the recent terror attacks and arrests in Europe, even more energy should be put into countering the Islamic State group in Iraq. "It is ISIS’s perceived successes that have been galvanising extremists, in Europe in particular, to take action", he explains.
In conclusion, he believes that the terrorist threat will be with us for "many, many years to come".
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Daniel Benjamin mentions the role of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 in motivating the Kouachi brothers to resort to terrorism. He defends US President Barack Obama's decision to let local forces take on the Islamic State group in Iraq as "the smart way to go".
However, he adds that in the light of the recent terror attacks and arrests in Europe, even more energy should be put into countering the Islamic State group in Iraq. "It is ISIS’s perceived successes that have been galvanising extremists, in Europe in particular, to take action", he explains.
In conclusion, he believes that the terrorist threat will be with us for "many, many years to come".
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