A terrorism expert predicts more attacks following the explosion at Parsons Green this morning.
Professor Afzal Ashraf, International Relations expert at Nottingham University’s centre of conflict security and terrorism, said this kind of attack will become more prevalent as ISIS is squeezed in the Middle East, with London being particularly vulnerable.
He said: “London is being attacked because it is one of the world’s premier cities and it is difficult for many of these people to carry out attacks in the US.”
Dr Ashraf pointed to greater restrictions on travel in the US as a reason for the drop-in attacks there.
According to Home Office statistics, terrorist related arrests are up 68% on last year.
However, Dr Ashraf predicted an eventual eradication of terrorist threats from Islamic extremists if pressure in the Middle East is sustained.
He said: “You’ve seen that Mosul, Raqqa and Talafar have been virtually cleared of Daesh.
“Eventually its failure will lead to a drop-in motivation, this is what we saw with Al-Qaeda for example.
“Al-Qaeda caused a mass burst of radicalisation after 9/11, but ten years after, as Al-Qaeda could not recreate the successes it had promised, it has failed in scaring the US and the West out of the Middle East.
“It demonstrated failure to its followers so people were less inclined to carry out attacks in its name and the same thing will happen with Daesh and ISIS.”
Dr Ashraf highlighted the important role the media must play.
He said: “To counter the fact that the media is being manipulated. You must report the incidents in a way that highlights the failures.”
Today’s bomb prematurely detonated reducing the size of the explosion and potentially saving lives.
He continued: “These are very incompetent and frankly disturbed individuals.
“They have failed in their political causes. They have failed to divide the country.”
