Changi Airport, aviation continues to
face a significant threat in the region.
Groups of Concern Operating
in the Europe
The threat situation in Europe has
substantially shifted over the last
twenty years. The violent ideological
clashes of the 1960s and 1970s have all
but disappeared. The ethno-nationalist
struggles in the former Yugoslavia have
ended, and the persistent conflict in
Northern Ireland has also passed into
history. Only ETA, in Spain, remains
an active armed group, but the series
of high-profile arrests and arms finds
in 2009 have greatly reduced the
organisation’s capacity.
Female Maoist guerillas. Maoist activists are suspected of having attacked a Royal Nepal Airlines flight in 2004. There is an increasing threat from
dissident republicans in Northern
a potential threat to aviation. The major insurgency based primarily in Ireland, and a small left wing group
Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) rural areas of the central and eastern in Greece, but there is no evidence of
has placed its military capabilities states, and is considered the primary a threat to civil aviation. Beyond the
“beyond use” and had even entered domestic security threat by the Union well documented jihadi threat, there
the government until it collapsed in government. The group has not is a significant emerging threat from
May 2009. It has a record of attacking demonstrated any intent or capability eco-terrorism.
aviation infrastructure as it was a critical to operate against civil aviation, but In early 2009, aviation was targeted
component of the former government’s a growing urban presence may be an by environmental groups, such as Plane
efforts to maintain contact with vast early indicator of a change. Stupid. as highlighted by the protests
parts of the country. In 2004, the group against the new runway at Heathrow
is suspected to have attacked a Royal Southeast Asian Radicalism and the takeover of Stansted in
Nepal Airlines plane with explosives In Southeast Asia the threats are December of 2008. While the rhetoric
and small arms as it departed Chainpur dominated by ethno-nationalist has cooled a bit, the drivers remain.
Airport and, in a separate attack, struggles in southern Thailand and the The dedication to direct action is
destroyed the air traffic control tower at southern Philippines, and the religious widely noted and if readers remember
an airport in Chitawan. More recently, political struggles embodied by Jemmah Hunting Life Sciences, it is full spectrum
the CP-NM threatened to blockade Islamah (JI), Rajah Soliman Movement, and potentially very damaging. That
the international airport in Kathmandu and the criminal-ideological group Abu said, there is absolutely no desire to
during a dispute with the government in Sayyaf. The ethno-nationalist groups cause loss of life or serious injury; the
October 2009, indicating a continuing have not demonstrated any intent or environmental groups simply wish to
awareness of aviation’s vulnerabilities. capability to target civil aviation. JI disrupt operations.
In India, the Communist Party of still infuses a wide range of extremists
India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist), known as groups with radical ideology and the Groups of Concern in
the Naxalites, continue to wage a violent skills to implement their vision South America
of an anti-western Islamic state. South America has been home to some
“...the group is The most violent off-shoot of JI is of the most active, pernicious terrorist
al-Qaeda in the Malay Peninsula, previously movements in the world and is a prime
suspected to have lead by the now deceased Noordin Top. example of the crime-terror nexus. The
His death, in a raid by Detachment 88 threat from the global jihad is more
attacked a Royal Nepal in September 2009, exposed a plot to limited, and focuses on the tri-border
infiltrate airlines in Indonesia. The extent region between Argentina, Paraguay,
Airlines plane with of this targeting and its ultimate objectives and Brazil. Hezbollah has an extensive
remains unclear. support infrastructure there, and has
explosives and small Given its extensive radical publication used it operationally against the Buenos
and education network, as well as JI’s Aries Jewish Cultural Centre in 1994
arms as it departed propensity for large scale mass casualty and, possibly, the following day (19 July)
attacks, including a 2001 plot to launch against aviation, with the bombing of
Chainpur Airport...” a suicide attack against Singapore’s an Alas Chiricanas flight 901 operating
48 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting www.asi-mag.com February 2010 Aviationsecurityinternational
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