More pessimism about global terrorism from security experts

The EastWest Institute's annual Worldwide Security Conference in Brussels this week concluded pessimistically, with the overwhelming majority of security professionals from numerous countries in attendance agreeing that the international terrorist threat is increasing. More recruits are becoming radicalized, despite the fact that intelligence agencies are getting better at thwarting terrorist plots. A couple of highlights: Almost ...

The EastWest Institute's annual Worldwide Security Conference in Brussels this week concluded pessimistically, with the overwhelming majority of security professionals from numerous countries in attendance agreeing that the international terrorist threat is increasing. More recruits are becoming radicalized, despite the fact that intelligence agencies are getting better at thwarting terrorist plots.

The EastWest Institute's annual Worldwide Security Conference in Brussels this week concluded pessimistically, with the overwhelming majority of security professionals from numerous countries in attendance agreeing that the international terrorist threat is increasing. More recruits are becoming radicalized, despite the fact that intelligence agencies are getting better at thwarting terrorist plots.

A couple of highlights:

  • Almost 60 percent of the security professionals polled feel less safe against the threat of terrorist attacks than they did a year ago
  • Most respondents believed the fight against terrorism is going badly and that terrorists are winning the propaganda war
  • Around 65 percent of respondents were not confident that their national security services have adequate intelligence on individuals planning a terrorist attack
  • Over 70 percent did not see a reduction in the threat of terrorism over the past year, and believed the international community has been failing in reducing the appeal of terrorism to young people around the world

These results echo the recent FP/Center for American Progress Terrorism Index, for which over 100 security experts in the United States were surveyed. The resounding conclusion: The United States is not winning the war on terror and the world is becoming more dangerous—in places that policy makers are not even focusing on.

Prerna Mankad is a researcher at Foreign Policy.

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