I’m working on a political science discussion question and need a sample draft to help me learn.

Respond to the following two posts, each 250 words with 1 source

Concur or disagree

1. “In Europe, internet contributions related to terrorism are policed online (“EU’s Response to the Terrorist Threat.”). The EU can issue removal orders and they have also defined what content they will flag (“EU’s Response to the Terrorist Threat.”). The US does not have this same power, and it has been left mostly up to the private tech companies to police terrorism activity on social media, including domestic terrorism, online. Many terrorist groups are just continually moving to new platforms so that their evil message can be spread. These new platforms, thankfully, make it hard to reach new recruits because there are not as many users as there are on Twitter and Facebook (Neumann).

IS has been on a terrorist campaign in Europe that has caused a lot of devastation (Neumann). US and European response in IS territory sent many IS members into hiding into the desert and severely dwindled their numbers (Neumann). Criminals, including those with drug convictions, are attracted to working with IS because of the redemption offered in IS (Neumann). I imagine that they find it harder to get a job as well, so joining IS gives these former criminals a new life. IS has weaponized the Islamic religion. A majority of terrorist attacks in Europe are funded by narcotics (Module 10 Lecture).

In Europe, many of the IS recruits are second generation immigrant Muslims (Module 10 Lecture). These young people are motivated and inspired by IS who give them weapons and train them in warfare (Roubaud). They are probably also having a hard time in other areas of their life and have vulnerabilities that turn them toward IS. Lately the message from IS seems to resonate less and less to people as IS becomes less centralized due to European and American involvement in terrorist terroritory (Neumann).

There has been an increase in drug use as well as concerns in immigration in Europe that are having an impact on terrorist attacks (Roubard). There has been an uptick in attacks in Europe. Our guest speaker said that while policing is making IS members spread out for now, there are many young people that trained with IS that are now sitting and waiting for their next opportunity to attack. While IS was once organized and plotted evil schemes as an organization, Paris has seen many more lone wolf attacks in recent times.Unfortunately, Paris has taken the brunt of many high-level attacks.

Mr. Roubard spoke on the illegal use of marijuana in Paris. I appreciated his commentary. He said that while marijuana is only considered a misdemeanor, it is still illegal and has created an underground economy where more than just marijuana is trafficked. This little problem cannot be isolated because it has become a huge part of a larger network of problems. Young people smoke marijuana in large numbers in Paris (Roubard).

In 2020, President Macron of France unveiled a new anti-radicalism plan and declared that all citizens in France, including Muslims, need to be protected from radical Islamist groups (Ridgwell). Macron cracked down on radical preachers, closed mosques, and asked for Muslim leaders to openly support free speech in France (Ridgwell). Macron took a lot of criticism from the Muslim world for these actions, but he had to do something as far as policing goes in France because they are receiving the brunt of so many attacks.

“EU’s Response to the Terrorist Threat.” European Council Council of the European Union, Consilium, 18 Mar. 2021, www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/fight-against-terrorism/ (Links to an external site.). “

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Respond to the following posts, 250 words with 1 source

Concur or disagree

2. ” The influx of migrants into Europe from countries associated with terror organizations has induced a flood of targeted attacks over the past two decades. Additionally, countries such as U.K., Germany, Belgium, and France continue to face the threat of homegrown radicals, “the majority of whom are unlikely to have any formal ties to conflicts taking place in countries such as Iraq, Syria, or Yemen” (Simcox, 2017). Groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda have exploited the sympathy of Muslim populations in both the EU and U.S., exporting their jihadist ideals through off-grid social media platforms. Over 5,000 Western Europeans have answered this call to arms, travelling to Syria to support the Islamic State (Neumann, 2018). Since 2014 alone, over one hundred terror plots have been uncovered in Europe, with 41 successful attacks on various targets (Neumann, 2018).

To combat this threat, the EU has taken a proactive strategy for diminishing radicalization and reducing the threat. Efforts to tighten borders were adopted to include “systematic checks on all persons, including those enjoying the right of free movement” (European Council, 2021). Access to weapons have been greatly restricted, limiting firearm acquisition and enhance tracking abilities (European Council, 2021). Also, improving the EU Council’s presence online has resulted in greater monitoring of criminal behavior on the internet, reducing terrorist propaganda, and opening judicial restrictions for prosecuting suspected terrorists.

Comparing the European policing responses to that in the U.S., the EU works together as a coalition for fighting criminal, terrorist networks. The shared burden of policing and preventing the flow of drugs and terrorists into the continent has essentially mandated a concerted, unified effort. Agencies such as INTERPOL are at the forefront of this struggle, working tirelessly to prevent drug and human trafficking from Africa and the Middle East. As is with previously studied regions, the European market presents a financial opportunity to fund terrorist organizations through drug sales. A 2019 study pointed to the rise in number of convicted terrorists with prior drug offenses. Their conclusion connects the complex rationale behind why individuals become radicalized to join overseas terrorist organizations and the entrapment of the drug trade. Ultimately, the involvement of drugs appears to have provided an avenue for involvement in other criminal activities, particularly radicalization in Muslim communities to join jihadist aligned groups.

Basra, R. (2019). Drugs and Terrorism: The Overlaps in Europe. International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation. Accessed https://icsr.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/ICSR-… “