European Commission
Malmström

2011-05-02 Early this morning I received the news that Osama Bin Laden was killed in an American military operation last night. It would have been preferred to see Osama Bin Laden before a court but the operation had another ending. Bin Laden’s death is of course stirring up a lot of emotions all over the world and we are yet again reminded of the 11 September attacks, ten years ago, when about 3000 people were killed. It also reminds us of the hundreds of other victims that have been killed in the name of Al-Qaeda in the years after the 11 September attacks. Bin Laden was an important symbol for the terror group Al-Qaeda and he has in many ways been the face of terrorism for many people. But what his death will mean for Al-Qaeda, who already has been weakened, and what – if any – consequences it may have on the fight against terrorism remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the terror threat still remains.

From the Commission side, we are continuously working on preventing and countering terrorism. I’ve said it before, but it deserves to be repeated: the fight against terrorism must not be too event driven. It is extremely important to increase cooperation between Member States in this area and we are also supporting the Member States in preventing radicalisation in all forms and shapes: left- or right-wing extremism as well as religious fundamentalism. Last year I proposed better regulation to limit access to certain chemicals that could be used for homemade explosives. We are also preparing a proposal on how to track terrorists’ assets with a European system, instead of sending data to the US, as it’s being done today.