TEL AVIV – While the Islamic State may be in its “death throes,” it still has the means to “easily” launch a chemical attack, the former head of Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Bureau warned Friday.
“Western society must get used to the fact that terrorism is part of our life,” Brigadier General Nitzan Nuriel said, speaking to Israel’s Army Radio. “We must get used to this, not in the sense of sitting around waiting for the next attack, and not in the sense of stopping to go abroad or to stop living, but in the sense of seeing who can improve the actions or processes that may help push back the next attack and make it an attack that will not claim large numbers of casualties.”
The 30-year IDF veteran made his remarks following the Barcelona and Cambrils Islamic State terror attacks that claimed the lives of at least 14 people and injured 30 others.
“I, sadly, was among those who said, ‘I told you so,’ those who said that 2017 will be a bloody year in Europe,” he said.
“I think the worst is yet to come. What we are witnessing is the death throes of the physical infrastructure of Islamic State in the region, and these will regrettably be accompanied by many incidents of this kind and worse. I, for one, believe that a chemical terror attack is ahead of us,” he said. “Islamic State has the knowledge, the capabilities and the means. I think they have already made the decision. All that remains is the operation in which this will happen.”
Nuriel said all operational aspects of a chemical attack could be coordinated with ease through the terror group’s highly-trained cells in Europe.
He added that greater efforts need to be invested in preventing future attacks. “Prevention is something local and municipal authorities can do, to minimize the possibility that this will happen again.”
“What we need is to get at a situation where such incidents, when they happen, end after 10-15 seconds; so that a driver cannot plough on for 530 meters, either because we have prepared – in advance – roadblocks that can be raised immediately, or because there is intervention with assault rifles by security forces posted at the site.”
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