Attacks on the decline
Since 2014, and the rise of the Islamic State, people have been glued to the news. Watching, listening, reading – catching up on the darkest parts of humanity. And once one horrible event passed and the press quieted down, those same people they sat… and they waited… depressingly waiting to see where and when the next attack would hit.
Morbid and Gruesome? Yes. But as a society starved on the next big event to hit the news, its sadly what the world has come to in some regards.
Its almost like driving by a train wreck. Its awful, horrendous, gut wrenching and makes you think about those affected, and then brings you to thoughts of your own life. Your family. The people you love.
You can’t look away, no matter how awful it is.
Its the same with the news. We watch, we wait. Its a sad reality.
The good news is… the wait seems to be getting longer.
Is Islamic State stepping away from the thing that has made it so well known? Terrorist attacks and mass murder?
Well… no. At least not seemingly. However, attacks in the Western part of the world are occurring at a lower rate. The lowest since their sharp rise in 2014.
This isn’t because the Islamic State is stepping back – or letting good win. Apparently, its quite the contrary. The number of planned attacks is right on par with previous years. However, intelligence is starting to get better, be more vigilant, and step in at the right moment to prevent anything from actually happening. Laws and rules are being made and enforced to crack down on these people sooner. Security is able to step in and act.
In some cases, its as simple as cutting wifi signals. The internet is becoming an online breeding ground for terrorists. Recruiting other like minded individuals doesn’t have to happen door to door anymore. It can happen at the click of a mouse all online. So the simplest solution – cut wifi signals.
Obviously this isn’t a realistic or long term solution, but it does cause a hindrance.
Another disadvantage of the internet, is getting involved in things where you don’t see the source. Being ‘enlightened’ by a higher power, when the higher power may very well be something of a more evil nature. This being said, eliminating the constant need for physical human interaction, allows intelligence to infiltrate online groups and use their sources to track down the root of the group and put an end to something potentially deadly before it happens.
The fact that the Islamic State has also lost 99% of their physical land space does not bode well for them either. While they may do most of their work now online when it comes to recruiting and coaching their followers, having a physical safe space is something that is almost a basic human need. While they are now quite literally hiding among us instead of hiding within the safety of their own territory, it does not give them any more power. If anything, it allows security more space and time to step in. To engage, learn, infiltrate, and act. Bringing an end to their reign of terror – or at least slowing it.
In the meantime, while our darkened and hardened minds had grown to accept the seemingly new ways of the world, maybe its time we also changed. Give up the space that was created for hungrily reading and listening and watching the news – and give it to hope. Hope that one day there will be even less. Hope that Security does their job to the fullest, steps in, and totally stops these senseless acts. Turn the dark corners of our mind to something more positive and embrace our fellow neighbours rather then constantly looking over our shoulder for the next attacker.
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and 
experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.
