EU anti-terror chief warns of Al Qaeda resurgence in Europe

The Security and Defence Subcommittee of the European Parliament jointly with the Committee on Foreign Affairs debated the security threat by ISIS in Iraq, Syria and beyond on the 24 September 2014 with Gilles de Kerchove, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, John O'Rourke, Head of Division, 'Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Iraq', EEAS and Florence Gaub, Senior Analyst, EU Institute for Security Studies.

Gilles de Kerchove said at the meeting that that Al Qaeda might try to demonstrate its relevance by carrying out attacks in Europe, the United States or Israel, wary of being upstaged by the Islamic State.

Mr de Kerchove also told the BBC that the number of Europeans joining Islamist fighters in Syria and Iraq had risen to more than 3,000.

Mr de Kerchove also warned that Western air strikes would increase the risk of retaliatory attacks in Europe.

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