The recent discovery of major terrorism plots in Europe and other regions of the world are proof that "core" al-Qaeda is "adaptable and resilient" and point to a growing trend of Islamic radicalization, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said Wednesday. The institute, in its 2007 Strategic Survey, said that while al-Qaeda had retained the ability to "plan and co-ordinate large-scale attacks in the western world, regional jihadist groups had "shown ambitions beyond parochial concerns" in support of the network's global objectives.
London - The recent discovery of major terrorism plots in Europe and other regions of the world are proof that "core" al-Qaeda is "adaptable and resilient" and point to a growing trend of Islamic radicalization, the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said Wednesday. The institute, in its 2007 Strategic Survey, said that while al-Qaeda had retained the ability to "plan and co-ordinate large-scale attacks in the western world, regional jihadist groups had "shown ambitions beyond parochial concerns" in support of the network's global objectives.
The report said it would take "decades" to defeat the "long-term challenge" from al-Qaeda, and suggested that "more fluid ways" should be found to achieve the effective integration of Muslim minorities into European societies.
"The long-term challenge is to confront the extremist ideology which gives rise to terrorism," said the IISS report.
"That means looking again at issues as complex as the relative balance between individual and community rights and between secular and religious visions of social organizations."
On Iraq, the report said that an "acceleration in efforts for political reconciliation" remained "most important" if any military gains were to be sustained.
The US needed to put "much greater political pressure" on the Iraqi government to reform.
Relation between Russia and the West had taken a "marked turn for the worse" over the past year, said the IISS, while western Europe had "emerged from a period of discord and institutional atrophy" with new government leaders in Germany, Britain and France.
