The terrorist is not a fool. The terrorist is an entrepreneur, calculates costs and benefits, carefully assesses and plans any move with a scientific method. The terrorist always has a purpose and this is the only objective that counts, having a flaw in planning means not fulfilling the fulfillment of the goal itself.
The fanaticism that propitiate us in the movies and on the news, in combination with terrorism, is a manipulation of reality, we had to deal with fanatics the problem would be much more serious.
Fanaticism - from the religious to the political - is a tool to recruit adepts; giving it a higher end to fight for.
Fanaticism is a fundamental piece of terrorism, but it does not guide its actions.
In almost all cases, the actions of terrorism are driven by economic and political reasons.
Bin Laden considered himself strong enough to be able to lead Afghanistan alone with his men, underestimating the economic weight of the region for Western states.
Al-Bagdadi intends to build an Islamic state that has more economic and geopolitical reasons to exist than religious ones. IS is a beast that is not worth much for what it is but for how it is perceived by the Western world.
The Islamic State threatens the entire West - including Italy - our freedom, our history and their traditions.
Hitting defined sensitive targets - such as the Vatican or the Colosseum - would be sensational but absolutely counterproductive. The more sensitive a target is defined, the greater the reaction that terrorists will have to suffer. Attacking the Vatican - or Rome - would mean mobilizing the whole of Christianity to a vengeance without borders, unleashing unmanageable outbreaks of violence in countries that cannot submit even if they have well-armed armies.
In countries like Italy, France or the Netherlands, the social and economic policies of the IS would have no easy terrain, as in the failed states, a legacy of the snubbed Arab spring.
What should make us think, however, is a fickle and manipulable generation, sure to find in jihad and radical Islam that sense of belonging that they did not find in our hemisphere.
Reflect, what a bad word, so we use it so little.
The disgusting media showcase that terrorism has overwhelmed us is a valid tool for conveying fear in our society. The ongoing sense of indignation among the Western population - culminating in the burning of the Jordanian pilot - is the greatest achievement of modern jihadism. We fed on chilling details for weeks, reviewed those images hundreds of times until we were convinced that danger is knocking on our doors.
When from fear, due to a lack of intellectual elaboration, we pass to terror, we are no longer psychologically able to activate the defense mechanisms and remain paralyzed and submissive.
For this reason those who want to dominate the other totally use strategies of fear and terror, to prevent an autonomous and functional intellectual reaction. To make the unsuccessful subject believe he no longer has any weapons would push him to join his regime or point of view out of desperation or instinct for protection.
Feeding the terrorist phenomenon with continuous and increasingly chilling news, pushes to destroy and change the collective everyday life. Speaking of terrorism in pragmatic and non-sensationalist terms has taken on the nuances of collaborationism or simple stupidity.
Words are as important as images, because the words themselves create a mental design that settles inside the psyche, frightening it in the same way, if not more subtle, than a picture.
It is no coincidence that the propaganda of totalitarian regimes have studied slogans as much as the set design of the rallies.
To speak of "New apocalypse" or "Clash of civilizations" is to be guilty of fomenting fear and terror.
Fear psychologically is a feeling that defends us from danger, to sending is a drive due to the activation of defense mechanisms. In our case the obsessive incitement to a military mission without head or tail or starting the big hunt for the different.
The highly instrumental use of the immigration problem is also an aspect that should not be underestimated. The concepts of immigrant and terrorist are often confused, as if, arriving from countries affected by religious extremism, everyone was intrinsically infected by osmosis. The phenomenon is rampant and the social risk of growing discontent cannot be denied.
The possibility that terrorist elements will be placed on the boats is rare, despite the exuberant statements made by the alarmists of the last hour. As we said before, for the terrorist the achievement of the objectives set or assigned is of vital importance and scrupulous planning is essential. Embarking would-be terrorists on boats is not a very wise action, the risk of them dying at sea or being killed for some reason during the crossing is too high. We are not talking about the risk of being intercepted by navy ships and sent to places not established by the original plan.
Too many variables to control and the risk of failure is very high.
History has already shown that clandestinity is not an advantage for the terrorist planning an attack.
The economic availability and the careful selection of low-profile subjects allows terror organizations to use false documents transiting countries directly from airports, ports or stations.
The 11 September; the Massacre of Boston and the shoot-out at the French editorial office of Charlie Hebdò are just some tragic examples of how terrorists entered the country through official channels without arousing suspicion.
With what has been said, we do not in any way want to minimize the social and security problem deriving from illegal immigration, if anything we want to move away from the stereotype of the terrorist immigrant. Only by recognizing the true nature of the problem can we implement an adequate containment strategy.
If the fight against witches continues (or in our case the Muslim terrorist) we risk falling not victims of terrorists themselves but of our fear. Reducing all illegal immigrants to terrorists and fanatics will lead to the implementation of discriminatory policies across the board, swallowing up good and bad in the machine of fear. This is also how fanaticism is created, making all Muslims terrorists.
The only solution to terrorism seems to be the sinking of boats and some bombs dropped on some remote village Libya or Somalia. The classic solutions found between the croissant and the cappuccino consumed at the bar.
Whether we like it or not, terrorism is eradicated using targeted strategies and collaborations between military forces, non-governmental organizations and analysts. The fight against terrorism must be fought not with rampant hysteria but with huge investments in social requalification projects in disadvantaged areas and security for countries at risk.
If we still want to define "Western democracies" and if we want to pretend to have learned something from our past it is our duty to protect honest Muslims in order to dampen a new generation of terrorists. It is the duty of the West not to succumb to fear by feeding it methodically but to employ the forces of all - civilians and military - in punishing and isolating terrorism and its psychological and social origins.
The terrorist is not a creature devoid of intellect and manipulable. The terrorist uses intelligence and careful planning to manipulate us and get what he wants.
Economic interests are often at the root of that fundamentalist terrorism that both anguishes us, money and power are the only true dogma that IS and those like them follow in an intransigent way.
Opportunity for redemption from old oppressive regimes; fear and indifference annihilate any good policy of stemming the phenomenon.
A terrorist is such only if we allow him to be.
