EU Sends Terrorism Experts To The Frontlines
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The European Union is increasing efforts to understand and combat terrorism and extremism. To this end, the EU has sent intelligence and security experts on assignment to its missions in the Middle East, North Africa, and Nigeria.
The European External Action Service, the foreign affairs and diplomatic corps arm of the EU, has deployed eight former intelligence, police, and military officers with far ranging experience in conflict zones, demobilization, reintegration, and disarmament, as special attachés to Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Morocco, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and Turkey, with a deployment to Egypt are soon to follow.
“These are people who have a background in security and police, and can develop good contacts in the security world in the countries of the Mediterranean rim,” said EU counter-terrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove.
The deployment plan was initiated following the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris in February, and received extra urgency following the 13 November attacks in Paris, for which ISIS claimed responsibility.
While individual EU states have mostly good ties and cooperation with countries in the Middle East and North Africa, recent events have shown that that is not enough. To combat international terrorism, the EU needs a coherent, unified diplomatic and counter-terrorist framework.
The attachés are tasked with overseeing de-radicalisation efforts, build up the host countries’ counter-terrorism efforts in cooperation with the EU, as well as reporting to Brussels on efforts in their host countries and on domestic policy in the fields of radicalisation, organised crime, migration, corruption, and anti-terrorism. Their expertise allows for a deeper level of understanding with local military command.
This programme is but one facet of a European initiative to combat terrorism, that includes funds allocated to efforts to combat radicalisation around the world, cooperation with the UN, and assistance to Middle East and North African regimes in combating radicalisation and terrorism.
