The Usual Suspects?

Devastating acts of violence are not to be played down. Actions that takes lives and cause havoc are outlawed, but I am sure any street poll taken in the western hemisphere about who we believe the usual suspects of ‘terrorist’ acts are, the resounding reply would probably be - Muslims.

However, yesterday columnist Dan Gardner writing for the Vancouver Sun dug out a relatively old ‘The European Union's Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2010’, published last April,  to remind us that in 2009 there were "294 failed, foiled, or successfully executed attacks" in six European countries and that the overwhelming majority of the attacks - 237 of 294 - were carried out by separatist groups, such as the Basque ETA.

He adds that ‘Forty terrorist schemes were thought to be leftist and/or anarchist terrorists. Rightists were responsible for four attacks. Single-issue groups were behind two attacks, while responsibility for a further 10 was not clear’, according to the report.

Islamists were apparently behind one of the 294 attacks in that year.

The columnist vents steam over the publication of fellow Canadian writer, alarmist , Mark Steyn’s new book which he describes as ‘apparently something to do with the end of civilization’ and comments, ‘given his track record, this is grounds for optimism’.

Read the full story here.

Winsome-Grace Cornish