ABSTRACT
In the last ten to 15 years Italy has emerged as a hotbed of activity for militant Salafi-Jihadists.Thechaptercharts theemergenceof thisphenomenon– from the early years associated with the “Milan cell” and its radical mosque environment inViaQuarantaandVialeJenner to thepresentdayactivismofdiffused Salafi-Jihaditerroristnetworksthatoperatethroughoutthecountry.Italy’sgeographicalpositionasabridgebetweenEuropeandNorthAfrica, theeasewith which Italian documents could be forged and the already existingmarket for weaponrywerekeyfactorsintransformingthecountryfromalogisticscentreto anactivebaseofoperations.Today,Salafi-JihadinetworksinItalyengageinthe full spectrumof terroristactivities, fromraisingfunds,procuringweaponsand explosives,toequippingoperativesbothmentally(indoctrination)andphysically (high-qualityidentityandtraveldocuments)anddispatchingthemtotakepartin military jihad. Italyhasalsoemergedasan importantplatformfor recruitment and radicalisation, and the chapter will attempt to shed some light on the dynamicrelationshipoftheseprocessesinItalianprisons,mosquesandthrough cyber-space. Italy’sinvolvementinAfghanistanandIraqhasalsotransformedItalianinterests both abroad and at home to justifiable targets, and after theMadrid and Londonbombingsthereisagloomyperceptionamongstexperts,politiciansand theItalianpublic thatItaly isnext in line.However,despiterepeatedattempts, Italyhas, todate, avoided anymajor attacksbySalafi-Jihadigroupsonhome soil.Thisisnotonlyduetoluckbutalsototheefficiencyandeffectivenessofits counter-terrorismtools.Thechapterwillattempttoprovideacriticaloverview of these tools and show how Italian authorities are trying to balance the aggressiveshort-termpursuitof terroristswith the longer-termstrategyofpreventing radicalisationandlong-termrecruitment.
