Austria's radical Islam problem

[Valin]

Long War Journal:

Benjamin Weinthal

November 10, 2014

 

Berlin -- The small Central European country of Austria has recently made headlines because of its jihadi teenagers who have gone to fight in Syria. But Austria's radical Islam problem stretches beyond the Islamic State's recruitment of young Austrian men and women. The Alpine state has become a hub of extremism that includes not only Islamic State terrorism but also Iranian nuclear proliferation activities as well as active support for Hamas.

 

Islamic State activity in Austria

 

"ISIS: Austria is terror hotspot," ran the headline of an interview published in September by the Österreich newspaper's online news outlet.

 

(Snip)

The Austrian radical Islamic preacher Mohammed Mahmoud, who has been a key figure in creating the Central European jihadist movement, is also believed to have played a crucial role in the establishment of the Islamic State. "Mohammed M. from Vienna is IS co-founder," the Vienna-based Kurier daily titled its mid-October report. The paper based its piece on a new book by Behnam Said, an expert on Islam, who noted that Mahmoud's name appears on a document urging support for the Islamic State.

 

(Snip)

Challenging counterterrorism environment

 

The mushrooming recruitment by Islamic State, and the presence of a large pocket of support for Hamas, pose major challenges for Austria's struggling counterterrorism establishment. Even so, Iranian intelligence's extensive network, including agents who have previously carried out a 1989 terrorist attack with impunity in Vienna, will remain Austria's greatest terror threat for the foreseeable future. The interrelationship among the three jihadist movements -- Hamas, Iran's regime, and the Islamic State -- playing out in Austria helps to explain why critics view the relatively small Central European country as a danger zone.