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Page | 1 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – January 2016 www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 2 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – January 2016 'I started the Arab Spring. Now death is everywhere, and extremism blooming' Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/12054657/I-started- the-Arab-Spring.-Now-death-is-everywhere-and-extremism-blooming.html Tunisian municipal officer Faida Hamdy Photo: AFP Dec 17 – It is hardly surprising that when Faida Hamdy wonders whether she is responsible for everything that happened after her moment of fame she is overwhelmed. Mrs Hamdy was the council inspector who, five years ago today confiscated the vegetable stall of a street vendor in her dusty town in central Tunisia. In despair, that young man set himself on fire in a protest outside the council offices. Within weeks, he was dead, dozens of young Arab men had copied him, riots had overthrown his president, and the Arab Spring was under way. Demonstrators face Egyptian police forces in the streets leading to Tahrir Square. Photo: Julian Simmonds/ The Telegraph www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 3 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – January 2016 As the world marks the anniversary, Syria and Iraq are in flames, Libya has broken down, and the twin evils of militant terror and repression stalk the region. “Sometimes I wish I’d never done it,” Mrs Hamdy told The Telegraph, in her only interview to mark the occasion. Hers is a voice that has been rarely heard: the family of the young man, Mohammed Bouazizi, became unwilling celebrities in the weeks after his lingering death, but a nervous regime arrested Mrs Hamdy when the protests began. By the time she was acquitted of all charges and released, President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali had fallen, and media attention was focused on Egypt, Libya and Syria. “I feel responsible for everything,” she went on. Her voice was shaky as she spoke of the traumatic consequences, five years that have transformed the Middle East but seemingly changed very little in poor, provincial towns like Sidi Bouzeid. “Sometimes, I blame myself and say it is all because of me. I made history since I was the one who was there and my action contributed to it but look at us now. Meanwhile, Tunisians are suffering as always.” Mohammed Bouazizi’s death triggered some deep nerve in the Arab world. Many myths were told about his own story and that of Mrs Hamdy, as there were about the nature of subsequent uprisings and downfalls, but there remains a basic truth underlying his experience and that of many others. Demonstrators turn over a burned out car after reclaiming the side streets near Tahrir Square Photo: Julian Simmonds/The Telegraph Corruption, stifling bureaucracy, and repressive police states were holding back a largely youthful population across the region, and their victims had little way to make their frustrations felt other than extreme actions. Subsequent studies found that self-immolation had already become a common act in Tunisia, accounting already for 15 per cent of all burns cases in Tunis hospitals. Within six months, more than 100 Tunisians had followed suit, and scores more around the Arab world, from Morocco to Saudi Arabia and Iraq, had also set themselves on fire. Still, not many observers could have imagined the chaos that would ensue, even when Mr Ben Ali gave way to weeks of protest and boarded a plane for Saudi Arabia with his wife and a large chunk of the country’s gold reserves. www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 4 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – January 2016 Next Hosni Mubarak of Egypt went, after 18 days of telegenic demonstrations in Cairo’s Tahrir Square. Then Col Muammar Gaddafi was forced out, after protests turned into civil war and then international war, with the West’s air forces joining in. By the time he was bayoneted and shot in October 2011, Syria was in flames, and the West was starting to vacillate about its role, with effects that can still be seen today. Libya, Syria and much of Iraq remain failed states. Egypt is on the brink. In the process a social uprising had turned into decree. It was toppled by a coup seven months a conflict between Islamism, part peaceful, part later. violent, and secular governments and Syria and Libya, meanwhile, appear not to politicians; and then between religious sects, know the meaning of the word consensus. as Sunni and Shia turned on each other. Mr Ghannouchi, perhaps oddly, is still Despite Mrs Hamdy’s despair at the poverty optimistic about the future of democracy in the that remains in Tunisia, the country is still seen Arab world. “The year 2011 was a leap from as the sole success. It has had two general tyranny in the Arab world,” he said. “History elections in the years since, with a moderate shows that the transition to democracy is not Islamist party, Ennahda, winning the first, always linear – the transitions that took place in before stepping into opposition in the face of an France and Britain took over 100 years.” alliance between secular parties that included "My brother is a lover of life and he would have members of the former regime last year. rejected both the stupid politicians and death- "When I look at the region and my country, I loving extremists" regret it all. Death everywhere and extremism Whether the Arab world can last that long is blooming, and killing beautiful souls" another question. Mr Bouazizi’s family, whose Much of that is down to a deal negotiated by initial fame turned to hostility in their Rached Ghannouchi, Ennahda’s head, who community, could not: his mother and one agreed to give up power despite the party’s sister moved to Canada, while another, Samia, electoral strength. now works in Tunis. She is the first to say that He told The Telegraph this week that he and her brother’s death has been hijacked by his colleagues had decided to compromise politics and ideology. after considering fundamental issues of what “His death is destiny and I accept it,” she said democracy meant. at a café in the city. “But if he were here he “Majoritarian rule, 50 per cent of the vote, is not would be the first in the street to ask for more sufficient,” he said. He said he had always dignity. known, from the start of Tunisia’s political “My brother created something that greedy “transition”, that he would have to seek people are trying to destroy in the region. My alliances, and in the first government Ennahda brother is a lover of life and he would have ruled alongside a centre-left secular party. rejected both the stupid politicians and death- “We thought having a government with a loving extremists. My brother died for dignity majority would be enough,” he said. “Then we not for wealth or an ideology.” realised we needed more: we needed At the end of all the wars, few may end up consensus.” remembering either him or Mrs Hamdy. The The difference between Tunisia and Egypt here two began at opposite sides, but both now is stark. While, as he points out, Egypt, Syria seem telescoped out of proportion by a history and Iraq are all more complex and difficult that became perverse beyond all recognition. countries than Tunisia, the fact remains that “Mohammed Bouazizi and I are both victims,” Ennahda downplayed Islamist demands when Mrs Hamdy said. “He lost his life and my life is the country drew up a constitution, the resulting not the same any more. document winning 94 per cent of the votes in “When I look at the region and my country, I the country’s constitutional assembly. regret it all. Death everywhere and extremism In Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood, which won blooming, and killing beautiful the presidency by 52 per cent to 48 per cent, souls.” tried to force through an Islamist constitution by www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Page | 5 CBRNE-TERRORISM NEWSLETTER – January 2016 No rise in anti-Muslim sentiment in U.K. in wake of Paris attacks: Poll Source: http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20151221-no-rise-in-antimuslim-sentiment-in-u-k- in-wake-of-paris-attacks-poll Dec 21 – Last month’s terrorist attacks in Paris the positive proportion increased to 27 percent, appear not to have led to a rise in anti-Muslim whereas the proportion disagreeing declined to sentiment in Britain, a new study has shown. 51 percent. The new research, conducted by Rob Ford and The most noticeable change in respondents’ Maria Sobolewska of the University of attitudes was apparent when respondents were Manchester, comes amid concerns that asked whether they felt London was better or worse off due to its ethnic and religious diversity. Pre-Paris attacks, 40 percent felt the capital was better off or much better off for its diversity, whereas 32 percent thought it was worse off or much worse off. Muslim demonstrator in London // Source: commons.wikimedia.org After Paris, the proportion with a positive attitude swelled to 43 percent, but the proportion who felt London was worse off for its diversity fell by a quarter to 24 percent. IBT notes that the respondents Western public opinion may grow more hostile were drawn from the whole of Great Britain, not toward Muslims, as evidenced by the success just London, and thus the responses may of the Front National in the first t round of reflect a tendency among Brits to rally round France’s regional elections three weeks ago, London and defend it as a symbol of diversity.

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