European Counter-terrorism: Far right will be active in Europe and America (Part 2)

Nahla Abdel Moneim

Talk about the far right has expanded during the past few years in the West, whether in the European Union or the United States, as the West has become threatened by right-wing currents, not limiting its concerns to radical Islamist currents.

In this regard, in the second part of the interview with the director of the European Center for Counterterrorism and Intelligence Studies, Jassim Mohamad, the Reference wonders what factors could affect Western security due to the rise of the right, and whether or not European countries would be affected by their confrontation with the exit of the United Kingdom from the Euro bloc.

Far right and its effects on security

Do you think the extreme right-wing is widespread in the United States?

The map of the far-right movements includes several groups, such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), Alternative Right (Alt-Right), Skinheads and Neo-Nazis. They believe in the supremacy of the white race and the rejection of immigration to the United States. The attack on the Capitol Building in Washington by supporters of President Trump was a reflection of the “demagoguery” of the far right in America.

Will it affect the stability of political life in the country during the presidency of Joe Biden?

It is expected that right-wing groups will become more active in the United States, and without a doubt they are benefiting from the experience of the far right in Europe, by distributing roles between political activity “legalizing their activities” and secret and field activities in spreading extremism and hatred.

What is the future of right-wing parties in Europe, and will their hegemony affect the power of some countries over internal politics?

The far right in Europe is on the rise, and it is expected to witness a wider escalation, politically and on the ground, despite the measures taken by European governments. Without a doubt, the far right has an impact and will affect domestic politics and foreign policy as well. Many governments in Europe take an account of the far right and try to parallel their policies by not losing votes in any upcoming elections.

EU security and agreements

Will the recent agreement between London and the European Union affect the security file on the continent or will it be limited only to the economic aspects?

Brexit will specifically affect Britain in matters of security. Britain will lose many of the advantages such as Schengen and Europol data services, Frontex agency services concerned with protecting external borders, and operational information platforms within the European Commission. The European Union will lose Britain in defense. But Britain’s exit by agreement eases many of these obstacles, and Europe welcomes the creation of bilateral security agreements or with the EU, in contrast to trade competition.

Regarding the Schengen area, do you think that the freedom of movement between European borders opens the way for the formation of terrorist networks that cooperate to carry out attacks against EU countries?

Yes, the Schengen area gives a lot of freedom to terrorist elements and groups to move around to carry out terrorist operations. Anis Amri carried out the Berlin truck operation during Christmas 2016 after he went from Italy to Germany, while those who carried out the slaughter of a cleric at a church in Nice, France and the Toulouse and Montauban shootings came from other European countries in order to evade surveillance.