France is still in fear a year after Charlie Hebdo attacks

Brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, who identified themselves as belonging to the Islamist terrorist group Al- Qaeda, shot 12 people dead, including eight of the French satirical magazine’s staff on Jan. 7, 2015. Hebdo has published millions of copies of the anniversary edition, which features a bearded man rep- resenting God with a Kalashnikov rifle over his shoulder, accompanied by the text: “One year on: the assassin is still out there.”

James G. Conway,President of Houston, US-based security consultancy Global Intel strategies

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<p>J<b>ames G. Conway</b>
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<p>J<b>ames G. Conway</b>
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<p><b>Q: What is Charlie Hebdo shooting’s legacy?</b><br />– The Hebdo shooting brought our vulnerabilities to the surface in terms of the threat of radical islam against the West, and that threat continues to grow and will continue until the ideology of radical islamis addressed from within Sunni Islam. It showedthe more sophisticated approach by the terrorists who had obviously acquired tradecraft and combative strategies from the battlefield. We also realize now that radical islam cannot be defeated through military, law-enforcement, intelligence and diplomatic means from the outside. It is a cancer from within that Islam must recognize and address.</p><div id=

Q: After the Hebdo shooting France has suffered much more. Why did it accumulateso much terrorism?

– France has a unique issue going back to it’s colonial history and colonization of Muslim countries in North Africa: Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Mali, etc. Many folks with legacy ethnicties to those countries live in France and now have French citizenship and passports. Many of them liveon the margins of society and feel “left out”, socially and economically. This has created an undercurrent of discontent in the country and an environment ripe for radical islam to exploit particularly among young marginalized youth. ISIS massive media campaign plays right into this “perfect storm.”

Q: Are France and other European countries still in danger?

– Yes, intel and police services are working around the clock to stem the efforts of those with intent to commit acts of terror but the numbers are great and the fluidity with which folks can move aroundthe European Union with French and other passports makes it very difficult. Also, encrypted communication apps have given the bad guys a significant edge.

Q: How to prevent tragic events as Charlie Hebdo attack?

– Good hard work byall segments of security services working together, internationally sharing and cooperating to combat this scourge which affects all free and innocent peoples. It is also very important to work within the islamic communities to create cooperation and a counter-communication strategy to radical Islam.

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<p><b>Richard Lachman.</b>
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<p><b>Richard Lachman.</b>
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<p><b>Richard Lachman, Political sociologist at the University at Albany, New York</b>
<p><b>What are the main lessons the world has learned from Charlie Hebdo shooting?</b>
<p>– We learned that journalists in Western capitals like Paris also can be targets, although some had been killed earlier over cartoons of Mohammed. The legacy of the Charlie Hebdo shooting is not in the new danger but in the reaction to it. It already is spurring anti-immigrant fervor in Europe and the U.S. Additional killings by Muslims and the mere weight of massive migration will spur even stronger anti-immigrant reactions.</p>
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Charlie Hebdo: Inside the French Muslim community

Now people are saying more and more “I’m not Charlie.” What does it mean?

– I think most Westerners still support the publication of offensive cartoons and writings. However, there is a growing group that believes all cultures and their claims have legitimacy even if those claims lead to censorship. Thus, some are saying the Charlie Hebdo cartoonists brought the assassinations on themselves by offending extremist religious Muslims. My expectation and hope is that those who believe we should defer to the sensibilities of religious extremists will remain a small minority.

What to expect in 2016?

– Continued attacks. Nothing has changed to reduce anger at past French foreign actions, its current military ventures, or free expression that some Muslims will see as offensive. Only if the European intelligence services can better coordinate and succeed at tracking and infiltrating terrorist groups will attacks diminish. Since European borders remain open, weakness in any single country, like Belgium whose multiple police forces don’t coordinate with each other and appear to be staffed by buffoons, will allow terrorists to travel throughput Europe to targets like Paris.

– By Dmitry Belyaev and Daniel Casillas