TERROR IN VIENNA: What's going wrong?
Paris, Nice, Dresden - and now Vienna. Since September, we have been confronted with a new wave of Islamist attacks in Europe. The Austrian capital was spared for a long time, although the secret services were aware of a strong jihadist scene, which also reflects the geographical proximity of the Balkans. But the 20-year-old attacker from Vienna was born and socialised in Austria, even though his family came from North Macedonia, and was imprisoned and involved in deradicalisation programmes after his attempt to join the "Islamic State". What went wrong in this case, what generally doesn't work in the fight against terrorism? Was it a mistake to assume that IS was finished and had lost its mobilising power?
Guido Steinberg holds a doctorate in Islamic Studies and was a terrorism advisor in the Federal Chancellery. Since 2005, he has been researching Middle Eastern politics at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, focussing on the Persian Gulf and Islamist terrorism, among other things.
Gudrun Harrer, Senior Editor, Der Standard; Lecturer for Modern History and Politics of the Near and Middle East at the University of Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna
Due to the current situation, we are changing the planned programme with Guido Steinberg.
His book
„War in the Gulf: How the power struggle between Iran and Saudi Arabia threatens global security“
will be presented together with him in the New Year as soon as possible.