This is why “potential terrorists are getting younger and younger”

Another hotbed of activity has been neutralised, which on the one hand reaffirms the responsiveness of Italian counter-terrorism efforts and on the other sounds yet another alarm bell. The latest case, foiled as part of a large-scale nationwide operation, involves 17 people – including 14 minors – who were glorifying supremacist criminals and inciting others to carry out attacks in high-risk locations. They were actively participating in social media groups such as ‘New European Order’ and ‘Italian Fascist Front’: hotbeds of racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia and transphobia, and, more generally, online hate. This risks leading to dramatic real-world consequences. “In Italy and throughout the Western world, these cases are rising sharply,” emphasises Daniele Garofalo, an analyst and expert in monitoring terrorism-related phenomena. “The problem is that the age of these individuals is steadily decreasing: it now consistently involves under-18s, and sometimes even under-16s. And one of the most complicated aspects to tackle is that these situations are becoming increasingly hybrid: the profile of the isolated young person who follows both jihadist and neo-fascist propaganda should no longer come as a surprise. Ideology is no longer an end in itself but a vehicle for violence, anger and revenge.”

A sort of destructive nihilism, which unites the unstable, anti-establishment spheres of the far right and the far left. “In their eagerness to strike at government institutions and the status quo, they all find themselves in the same cauldron: there is a common enemy, they exchange know-how, and they do so via platforms where manipulated information travels at breakneck speed”. Italy can rely on a particularly resilient intelligence system, strengthened by the ‘antibodies’ developed during the long and dramatic periods of right-wing, left-wing and Mafia-linked massacres. Is it still keeping pace with the times? “We have always been at the forefront of preventive measures,” confirms Garofalo. “However, a certain amount of luck also plays a part. And social media itself helps too: as much a threat to those who exploit it for subversive purposes as a valuable tool for gathering data on at-risk individuals through keyword analysis. The issue today is that we are unprepared for the unpredictability of the terrorist approach that has been gaining ground since 7 October.” That is, an almost passive recruitment process, through the relentless dissemination of toxic video content designed to draw “thousands of people into a spiral of spurious radicalisation, targeting those marginalised on ethnic, economic and social grounds. These are increasingly very young and vulnerable individuals.”

Whilst organised groups remain easier to identify, the degree of unpredictability increases when it comes to lone wolves carrying out extreme acts that do not require a particular level of planning: consider the attempted massacre in Modena and the stabbing at the school in Centocelle – to date, the only recent incidents that the police have failed to neutralise in time. “We must get used to dealing not only with information warfare, but also with the blurring of categories. It is important to learn to be more hybrid and flexible when it comes to monitoring too: coming face to face with converts praising Hitler inside a mosque – however seemingly irreconcilable these elements may be – must no longer be regarded as an extreme case. I see arrests of young Muslims who have turned to jihad, yet who are also neo-Nazis at the same time. Their sole aim is to spread chaos and terror, regardless of the ideological vehicle they use.” To nip such phenomena in the bud, it is also important to tackle the root causes. “The number of arrests of radicalised minors across Europe demonstrates just how much the misuse of the internet has become a massive problem. Therefore, legally restricting the use of social media below a certain age should become a fundamental shared objective.” Some countries, such as Australia, are trying to do just that. “Politicians must take this seriously. And educational institutions also bear a significant responsibility: there is now a tendency to spread too much propaganda without any educational purpose.” When there is simply too much on the agenda.