1 HZS C2BRNE DIARY – February 2021 www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com 2 HZS C2BRNE DIARY – February 2021 HZS C2BRNE DIARY– 2021© February 2021 Website: www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com Editor-in-Chief BrigGEN (ret.) Ioannis Galatas MD, MSc, MC (Army) PhD cand Consultant in Allergy & Clinical Immunology Medical/Hospital CBRNE Planner & Instructor Senior Asymmetric Threats Analyst Manager, CBRN Knowledge Center @ International CBRNE Institute (BE) Senior CBRN Consultant @ HotZone Solutions Group (NL) Athens, Greece Contact e-mail: [email protected] Editorial Team ⚫ Bellanca Giada, MD, MSc (Italy) ⚫ Hopmeier Michael, BSc/MSc MechEngin (USA) ⚫ Kiourktsoglou George, BSc, Dipl, MSc, MBA, PhD (UK) ⚫ Photiou Steve, MD, MSc EmDisaster (Italy) ⚫ Tarlow Peter, PhD Sociol (USA) A publication of HotZone Solutions Group Prinsessegracht 6, 2514 AN, The Hague, The Netherlands T: +31 70 262 97 04, F: +31 (0) 87 784 68 26 E-mail: [email protected] DISCLAIMER: The HZS C2BRNE DIARY® (former CBRNE-Terrorism Newsletter), is a free online publication for the fellow civilian/military CBRNE First Responders worldwide. The Diary is a collection of papers/articles related to the stated thematology. Relevant sources/authors are included and all info provided herein is from open Internet sources. Opinions and comments from the Editor, the Editorial Team or the authors publishing in the Diary do not necessarily represent those of the HotZone Solutions Group (NL) or the International CBRNE Institute (BE). ◼ Cover: Artwork by Cristina Spanò (The Economist) www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com 3 HZS C2BRNE DIARY – February 2021 www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com 4 HZS C2BRNE DIARY – February 2021 Editorial Brig Gen (ret.) Ioannis Galatas, MD, MSc, MC (Army) Editor-in-Chief HZS C2BRNE Diary Dear Colleagues, It might sound odd but nothing really important marked What is important is that the current pandemic can serve as February. Of course, things happened but we need to know an initiative to review our plans and fill our gaps when comes where nominate the “important” stamp. In that respect, it was to emergency response in similar disasters. I am sorry to say nice that the United States of America managed to have a new that only very few countries are looking ahead in the midst of President and avoided a theoretically possible civil war. The an ongoing pandemic. And when the pandemic will be under new administration remains to prove that is better than the control governors will focus on restoring the economy previous one but reality have shown that in most cases new forgetting to heal the wounds in their systems. And then a new leadeship is worse than the previous one. New administration pandemic will come (some already call it “Pandemic X”) or a does not mean that all problems over and under the carpet bioterrorism attack will threaten the entire planet much worse have been solved – e.g., the proposal for the independence that SARS-CoV-2 as Bill Gates recently warned. We as first of Texas (especially now that huge oil fields have been responders are obliged to warn people in high places about indentified). what went wrong and how to fix it but we are not the people who can make drastic changes and reboot the system. But at In Europe, after the remarkable solidarity recorded during the least we can try and the unexpected might happen! first wave of the pandemic we now became witnesses of vaccine nationalism and many things happen under the table And as if the pandemic is not enough, we have the change of and behind closed doors about who is getting the vaccines attitude of Iran that now seems dedicated to produce enough first and in big numbers for their own people. The second nuclear material to make a few bombs and Israelis are not issue is the uncertainty generated following the adverse happy about it and we all know what this means. In the same reactions and death caused by the two mRNA vaccines wavelength Turkey is systemically attached to Pakistan most available along with the ups and downs of the intervals probably staring its nuclear bomb technology for its own and between jabs. There was also a 3600 turn and now the this is something that certain nations in the area are not happy Russina vaccine is as good as the Western vaccines and at all. In addition, it is almost certain that something many say it is more effective and safer. We eagerly expect to unpleasant will happen between Greece and Turkey because get the approval of the European Medicines Agency in order even bullying has its limits and some times the victim reacts to be ordered by member states. Of interest is the in asymmetric ways! Janssen/Johnson & Johnson single jab vaccine. Of course, vaccination alone does not mean that we are back in the Be alert first responders! Keep in mind that the few and the normal. The precautions’ triad should be followed at least until brave are the shield of the nation! the end of 2021 that most of nations will reach the heard immunity percentage of 70% despite the fact that mutations cause additional problems. The Editor-in-Chief www.cbrne-terrorism-newsletter.com 5 HZS C2BRNE DIARY – February 2021 ISIS and Foreign Fighters: Assessing the Threat and Potential Repatriation, Rehabilitation, and Reintegration By Antoine Andary, Amanda Garry, Allison McDowell-Smith, and Ardian Shajkovci Source: https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/isis-and-foreign-fighters-assessing-the-threat-and-potential- repatriation-rehabilitation-and-reintegration/ Jan 25 – Concerns over ISIS returnees remain pressing for many western governments, as does apprehension over domestic actors potentially spreading violent extremist ideology or carrying out terrorist attacks under the banner of ISIS or other terrorist groups. Some argue the November 2020 Vienna attack, in which four people were killed, marked the relaunch of ISIS’ “Europe campaign.” [i] Debatably, al-Qaeda supporters and sympathizers back in the day exhibited more fortitude as sleeper cell agents, sometimes waiting up to two or three years for marching orders before taking action. ISIS’ “flash to bang” indoctrination peddled vis-à-vis its follower base nowadays seems to have become rapid and has been tightening. Perhaps the case of the French middle-school teacher who was brutally murdered in October 2020 in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, France, by a militant jihadi adherent serves to demonstrate the point and perhaps draw attention to newly emerging forms of violence and terrorism in Europe. This particular terrorist act has once again intensified the public debate over a “radical atmosphere” in Europe, interspersed with diverse opinions on subjects such as secularism, terrorism, endemic violence, immigration, and freedom of expression. European media claimed that the suspect had contacts in Idlib in northwestern Syria, and that he was close to Hayat Tahrir Al-Cham (HTS),[ii] though the official investigation in France is ongoing. Abdoullakh Anzorov was shown to be very active on social media, and his tweets leave little doubt about his fundamentalist vision of religion.[iii] Nicolas Chapuis from Le Monde accessed Anzorov’s Twitter accounts and found 3,000-plus tweets published between June and October 2020, all of them under various accounts. In the beginning, he exchanged jokes with his connections. Gradually, his conscientious exposition of the religion of Islam grew stronger. “He detailed his vision of the world in binary terms, namely what is considered halal [permitted] and haram [prohibited],” Chapuis explained.[iv] Anzorov seemed vigilant in concealing extremist compulsions, however, and on several occasions he had expressed his support to the Taliban in Afghanistan and to “Aqmi,” a branch of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb. He retweeted a post referencing ISIS but was mindful not to immerse into discussing terrorism issues. Therefore, Anzorov managed to escape the radar of the French intelligence services. Questions over whether returning foreign fighters will opt at all costs for violence once back in their home countries of origin will likely continue to linger. Hundreds of detainees and prisoners linked to terrorism and radicalization remain housed in European prisons, with approximately 220 of them located in Belgian prisons alone. This number includes “returnees, terrorist convicts, hate preachers, and so-called radicalized criminals.”[v] Different countries have adopted their own varied solutions, ranging from forgiveness to punishment and punitive measures. Adding further to the complexity is the fact that thousands of children continue to remain in a limbo in Syria and Iraq,[vi] with the UN and other organizations stressing that governments have “the primary responsibility to address the plight of their nationals, including children trapped in conflict zones.”[vii] The following testimonies from State Department and other domestic and international legal and psychological experts lay a groundwork on some important considerations as governments continue to address the issue of FTFs and their family members. Historical, Conceptual Considerations There is an overarching need to approach every issue with several factors in mind, one being history. History repeats itself and ensuring there is an adequate understanding of our past will allow us to be better prepared for the future and any challenges that may arise. [viii] As stated by John Giduck, “The question is not only how we combat terrorism, but how do we live with the people upon whom we have placed the brand of terrorists.”[ix]