The threat of terrorist attacks is rising across Europe. Observers rightly point to the rise of the Islamic State, the persistent threat from Al Qa`ida (AQ) and its affiliates and allies in Europe and neighboring Eurasia, and the recent explosion of the refugee flood Syria, Iraq, North Africa, again Eurasia but most notably Syria. However, another terrorism threat has raised its ugly head in Europe; one that has reached across the half-continent from its eastern edge to the far west in London—the Ukrainian neo-fascist terrorist threat.
The CIA defines terrorism as “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents.” It defines ‘international terrorism’ as “terrorism involving the territory or the citizens of more than one country.” (www.secbrief.org/2014/04/definition-of-terrorism/) The term ‘state terrorism’ has entered the field of terrorism studies, with its definition mush as the first one given above, with the difference that the terms ‘state’, ‘state organizations’ and/or ‘state agents’ replace the phrase ‘sub-national groups or clandestine agents.’
Numerous violent acts committed either by pro-Maidan revolutionary, mostly neo-fascist or ultra-nationalist, sub-national groups (i.e., non-state actors and groups) before and during the overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich or by state actors, organs and agents after the installation of the new Maidan Ukrainian government or regime qualify as terrorism.…
Russian and Eurasian Politics
Europe’s New Terrorist Threat Gordon M. Hahn | Analyst and Advisory Board Member of the Geostrategic Forecasting Corporation, Chicago, Illinois; a Senior Researcher, Center for Terrorism and Intelligence Studies (CETIS), Akribis Group, San Jose, California; and an Analyst/Consultant, Russia Other Points of View – Russia Media Watch