A week has passed since the Islamic State attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall in which more than 140 people died. After deeming this attack “successful,” the terrorist group has now encouraged its lone wolves in the West to carry out attacks of their own against Christians and Jews in the West and Israel.
The call from the Islamic State has set off alarm bells, but the security analyst and jihadism expert, Jofre Montoto, has conveyed a message of calm in El Món to RAC1 and has stated that the call from the Islamic State “has to worry us relatively.” .
Montoto remembers that the terrorist organization was practically annihilated in its confrontation with the West and had recently changed its strategy, ruling out direct conflict to try to survive. Now, however, they are trying to “try their luck” with an appeal aimed at radicalized individuals.
For Montoto, even the level 4 out of 5 terrorist alert that has been in force in Spain for a long time, serves more “to heal one’s health, but it is not real.” He believes that a level 2 or 3 would be more appropriate, and believes that there are not enough troops to truly and effectively maintain a level 4 for so long. “It is worth taking special care in places like the Sagrada Familia, which we know are terrorist targets, but we should not be too scared,” he adds.
Despite everything, Montoto insists that he would not ask “that crowds be avoided.” He recognizes that jihadism can always surprise, and that he can never be 100% sure that there will not be a specific attack, but he defends that the possibilities are low and, in fact, explains that he lives his life with his family “with total normality.” .
It does remember, however, that Spain is historically, along with Belgium, the United Kingdom and France, one of the main targets of radical Islam. And he considers that the recent support of the Spanish government to Gaza will not reduce this risk, since historically it has been a country that has given support to the Arab world, and that has not spared it attacks such as those of 11-M or 17- TO. In fact, he points out that “perhaps a break in relations with Israel could lower the risk, but even then I wouldn’t trust it too much.”
The jihadism expert also completely rules out that the Olympic Games, which will be held starting July 26 in Paris, have to be suspended. He believes that there are no large terrorist cells prepared to attack “because otherwise, they would have already done so.”
Finally, Montoto recalls that since the murder of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team at the 1972 Munich games, security has become an absolutely priority issue in this type of event.
