The specter of terrorism looms large over the upcoming Paris Olympics. A string of arrests and charges surrounding the international event signify the hopeful grand target of would-be terrorists. Against the backdrop of Russian sabotage operations that have peppered the continent for months, attempted attacks have been thwarted and plans have been uncovered. In May, an 18-year old Chechen was arrested for planning an attack on the St. Etienne soccer stadium in the name of the Islamic State. Late last month, a 26-year old Russian-Ukrainian was arrested in a hotel near Charles de Gaulle airport after a failed bomb making attempt sent him to the hospital with severe burns. After searching his hotel room, police found forged identity papers, multiple mobile phones, and materiel to produce homemade explosives. The real-time feeds and social media of each event, and several others laid out below, were found in ShadowDragon’s new Horizon Monitor that allows users to track real-time feeds and social media, filter keywords, and monitor topics and issues.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines International Terrorism as: “Violent, criminal acts committed by individuals and/or groups who are inspired by, or associated with, designated foreign terrorist organizations or nations (state-sponsored).” The Western World has had decades of practice focused on hunting terrorists and preventing violence, but today’s state-sponsored terrorism seems to be increasing in both volume and audacity. Russia has conducted sabotage operations across Europe ranging from arson to an assassination attempt of Armin Papperger, the CEO of a German munitions maker. One could argue that Russia belongs to be labeled as a state-sponsor of terrorism. In early July, US European Command increased the threat level among U.S. military bases across Europe to ‘Charlie’, the second highest threat level, stating that there are a “variety of factors play into the safety of U.S. military community abroad.” The unclassified threat situation statement by U.S. Army Europe and Africa (USAREUR-AF) cited “Activities associated with inspired ‘lone wolf’ terrorists and hostile-nation intelligence collection remains significant and enduring collateral threats to U.S. and DOD-affiliated personnel.” The ongoing “Israeli/Hamas conflict, international military operations in the Middle East, and continued Russian aggression in Eastern Europe” were named as reasons for the increased threat level. Upcoming Olympic games in Paris will complicate any effort to contain and prevent the rising threat of terrorism against the United States and her allies.
Nearly 4,000 miles southeast of Paris, the Houthis have elevated their profile by exporting terrorism just outside the Middle Eastern region, claiming responsibility for a drone attack in Tel Aviv that killed one person and injured dozens more. The Houthis have been a long-time proxy for Iran, who supplies the group with weapons and training, but Russia has flirted with the idea of supplying the Houthis with advance anti-ship missiles in retaliation for the US aiding Ukraine. While the Houthis have so far remained a regional threat, their recent foray into targeting Israel is an escalation in both audacity and distance. Russia stepping in to supply the Houthis would be one more group that Russia can claim in their growing sphere of influence that seems to be surrounding Europe.
This rash of terrorism, whether supported or conducted by state or non-state actors, is all a product of asymmetric warfare aimed at the rules-based order – and every industry and sector are targets. ShadowDragon™ offers a suite of tools to investigate potential and emerging threats, lending insights with data. Horizon is the preeminent link analysis platform for any publicly available information turned actionable OSINT. Horizon™ Monitor allows any analyst or investigator to see, in real-time, emerging threats through social media or news feeds. SocialNet® encourages users to drill down to specific entities of interest and expand upon our more than 225 data sources to dig deeper into a target or entity. Daniel Clemens, CEO of ShadowDragon™, likes to say, “the more you know, the luckier you are.” ShadowDragon™ gives you the information you need at your fingertips. Asymmetrical warfare isn’t going away. Data helps you correlate, discern, and fight back.
