Terror expert warns:

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The man who drove up to the NS Documentation Center in Munich on Thursday and fired at police officers in front of the building was an 18-year-old Austrian with Bosnian roots.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg/AFP/KroneKreativ)

Following the recent terror shocks (Swift concert, Munich shooting), German terror expert Guido Steinberg attests that Austria has a problem with young Islamists. However, this is not new, but has existed since IS declared its caliphate in Iraq and Syria in 2014, Steinberg said on Friday. 

Since 2014, it could be observed that IS in Austria was "attractive" to many young people from different backgrounds.

"Radicalization in Austria"
In recent years, the Islamism researcher even noted that "jihadist radicalization has continued unabated in Austria", and in this country it affects "particularly many young people".

Concerns about a new wave of attacks
Steinberg shares fears that a new wave of Islamist attacks, fuelled by the Gaza war between the militant Islamist Palestinian organization Hamas and Israel, is underway, but stresses that there is "greater continuity" in attacks.

For example, it can be observed that attacks in northern and central Europe have been occurring more frequently and in closer succession since 2020.

The act of terrorism in Munich is shocking: According to the police, there were no concrete signs that the perpetrator (18) was radicalized.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg/AFP/KroneKreativ)

Even since the terrorist attack in Vienna in November 2020, "planning activity has remained at a very, very high level". The reason for this is an enthusiasm for IS ideology among certain young people.

Consumption of IS propaganda as the main cause
IS Afghanistan in particular is successful in recruiting young individual perpetrators. According to previous information, attackers and suspected terror planners or IS supporters involved in events in Austria in recent years that were known to the police did not know each other and were not or hardly networked. Steinberg draws the conclusion that individual young people today can be mobilized simply by consuming IS propaganda.

We must first of all be aware that our security authorities are weak.

Der deutsche Terrorexperte Guido Steinberg

Criticism of the authorities
Commenting on the state of the security authorities in Europe, Steinberg said: "First of all, we have to realize that our security authorities are weak." There is no way around a broad strengthening of the authorities. In particular, telecommunications surveillance - keyword messenger services - must be upgraded for the early detection of attackers.