One Europe, Many Counterterrorism Policies

Council on Foreign Relations

"One Europe, Many Counterterrorism Policies
August 6, 2007
Prepared by:
Julia Choe

One Europe, Many Counterterrorism Policies

There is little question the United States remains a prime target for terrorists, but since President Bush declared a “war on terror” in 2001, Europe has in some ways proven a more active theater in that struggle. An April 2007 Europol report (PDF) counts 706 terror-related arrests inside the European Union in 2006 alone. These numbers do not include Britain, which claims to be investigating some 1,600 terror suspects, though it is reluctant to divulge details. Yet the wider European Union appears to recognize that a more coordinated approach may be necessary, particularly in light of the latest attacks in Britain."