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WickedsDesire -> Who was behind the jihadist attacks on EU and USA? (6/14/2017 5:53:10 AM)
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Who was behind the jihadist attacks on Europe and North America?
More than 400 people have died in jihadist attacks in the West during the past three years. What can we learn, asks Dr Lorenzo Vidino.
Although the vast majority of Islamist attacks are elsewhere in the world, an unprecedented number in Europe and North America - more than 50 in total - have put the authorities under great pressure to prevent further deaths.
What do we know of the individuals who carried out the attacks - their life in the West, whether they were known to the authorities and with whom they were working?
The first look at the data behind the attacks - everything from the age of the perpetrators, to immigration status - offers counter-terrorism officials, and the public, an insight that could help them identify the best responses.
Where the attacks were
We identified 52 attacks between December 2014 and early June 2017 that we considered to be acts of jihadist terrorism.
This period follows the declaration of a "caliphate" by the so-called Islamic State in parts of Syria and Iraq in June 2014.
A relatively limited number of countries were affected.
Six were in Europe: France - the worst affected country, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden.
There were also attacks in the United States and Canada.
Flowers left near the Orlando nightclub where a terrorist attack took place in June 2016
Regardless of country, most attacks were in large towns and cities - including London, Paris, Nice, Berlin, Brussels and Orlando.
A few attacks hit iconic targets, such as the Champs-Elysees and the Louvre museum in Paris, and Westminster in London.
Many others targeted crowded spaces such as busy pedestrian areas, entertainment venues or transport hubs.
But some terrorist attacks have hit more unusual places, including an office Christmas party and a service at a church.
How the attacks were identified
We looked at attacks motivated by jihadist ideology, that involved deliberate acts of violence against other people and were intended to intimidate or convey a message to a larger group. Other organisations use different definitions.
Researchers used open-source material and interviews with officials
It is possible that some attacks did not come to our attention, or that full details are not available
The research covers the US, Canada and the 28 member states of the EU, plus Norway and Switzerland
Attacks motivated by other ideologies - such as the murder of Jo Cox - are not included in this study
The dead and injured
In total, the 52 attacks caused 403 deaths and left more than 1,600 people injured.
The perpetrators are not included in these figures.
The Paris attack of November 2015 was the deadliest, with 130 people killed, including 90 at the Bataclan theatre.
France also saw the Nice lorry attack, which left 86 people dead.
There were many other attacks that left many people dead and others injured.
In Orlando, 49 people were killed in an attack on a gay nightclub
Bombings at Brussels airport and at a metro station left 32 people dead
14 people were killed at a Christmas party in San Bernardino, California
12 people died when a lorry was driven into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin
12 people died when the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked in January 2015
Five people were killed in the Westminster attack in April
The Manchester Arena bombing in May led to 22 deaths
The London Bridge attack in June left eight people dead
In total, these 10 attacks were responsible for 370 deaths.
However, most of the attacks did not cause casualties, with the exclusion of the perpetrators...........etc
Jihadism: Tracking a month of deadly attacks
Jihadist attacks killed more than 5,000 people in just one month, an investigation by the BBC World Service and King's College London has found.
Civilians bore the brunt of the violence, with more than 2,000 killed in reported jihadist incidents during November 2014. Islamic State carried out the most attacks, adding to the spiralling death toll in Iraq and Syria. Explore the map to find out more.....etc
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