France Battles an Internal Enemy

A terrorist attack, planned by a 19-year-old man, was thwarted in northern France at the beginning of the week. The suspect claimed to be acting in the name of the Islamic State. In recent months, no fewer than six attacks have been foiled. According to the minister of the Interior, the real threat today is no longer an external attack but an internal enemy—actions carried out by a group of radicalized French youth.

Illustration (Photo: AFP)

Morad M. was arrested by police on the morning of Wednesday, April 2, at a social center in Dunkirk following a tip-off. The unemployed man, a French citizen, was already known to be a drug dealer, V4NA writes. 

According to the Interior Minister, the real threat today is no longer an external attack but an internal enemy Photo: AFP

Investigators found a declaration of allegiance to the Islamic State in his home. He confessed that

he had planned to carry out an attack in Dunkirk wearing a suicide vest. His targets were to be café terraces and places frequented by the Jewish community, intending to “do as they did at the Bataclan.” He said “the state of France” was his motive for committing an attack.

The managers of the center where he had lived for three years had noticed his gradual radicalization. Two other acquaintances of his were also arrested along with him; one of them was imprisoned for “conspiracy with terrorists,” according to The European Conservative news outlet.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau expressed concern in media interviews about the level of terrorist threats France is currently facing.

80% of ongoing investigations by the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office are in connection with jihadist plots.

Retailleau highlighted a dual threat:

• There is always an external danger, particularly from groups like the Islamic State.
• But the most immediate and pressing threat is internal, with a growing number of radicalized young people.

What’s particularly alarming is the extremely young age of many of these aspiring terrorists. In 70% of the thwarted cases, the suspects were under the age of 21.

This trend is a troubling sign of the failure of the national education system to prevent the radicalization of teenagers. Many of these youths come from broken homes, lack prospects for the future, and are radicalized online through content created by Islamic State operatives—some of it AI-generated.

Just a month ago, a 17-year-old in the Vesoul region of eastern France was arrested and imprisoned for planning a similar attack. He allegedly wanted to stab people in a church, synagogue, or possibly target an American or Israeli embassy or consulate. He also confessed to being a member of the Islamic State.

Since the 2012 Toulouse attacks, French intelligence services have foiled 86 terrorist plots.

Cover photo: Illustration (Photo: AFP)