"BLOODY FRIDAY"

"Bloody Friday" is the name given by the media to 26 June, the day when a series of terrorist acts took place practically simultaneously in Tunisia, Kuwait and France. At that very time, reports came on blasts and attacks in Somalia and Syria.

Everybody is now used to almost daily reports on bloody incidents in Syria and Somalia which have been torn by war for a long time. But the acts of violence in relatively calm France and Kuwait, as well as the ruthless execution of tourists, mainly from Britain and Germany, on a Tunisian beach amid snow-white sand came as a real shock to the world public.

The first report came from France where a man named Yassine Sahli, an employee of the Air Products factory, killed his boss en route to work, cut off his head, put it on the fence of the factory, made a few inscriptions in Arabic on the beheaded body, took a selfie and sent the picture to a mobile number in Canada, reportedly belonging to his acquaintance, an Islamist who fought in Syria until recently. Sahli also tried to blow up gas cylinders but he failed and was arrested. Some time later, shocking news came from Tunisia where terrorists arrived by boat from the sea, entered the grounds of the Imperial Marhaba Hotel and started shooting at holidaymakers on the beach. Forty people were killed and over 40 hurt in the attack. In Kuwait, a suicide bomber burst into a Shia mosque and set off an explosive device just during a Friday prayer killing 24 and injuring more than 200 people. The Islamic State (IS) terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the latest two terrorist attacks. One day before, the group had called on its supporters to intensify their activity and turn the holy month of Ramadan into "a time of calamity for the infidels". In the case of the terrorist act in France, the prosecutor's office has confirmed Sahli's links to IS.

It looks like nothing so unprecedented happened because terrorist acts had happened before. They were similar not only in terms of their cruelty and number of victims but even their scenarios. In May 2013, Lee Rigby, a 25-year-old British army soldier was beheaded by terrorists on a street near his barracks in London's Woolwich district and this looks very much like the incident in Lyons. As for the terrorist attack in Kuwait, it fits in perfectly well with the picture of Shia-Sunni confrontation which has an acute, procrastinated and irreconcilable character in many Middle East countries and plays into the hands of the terrorists in the best way possible.

Yet there is a "but".  Living at the times of IS is much more uncomfortable for the international community than under disappearing al-Qa'eda which never had such calibre and ambitions. Opportunities for terrorism are constantly growing, whereas efforts to deter it leave much to desire. The US struggle against IS, even with the assistance of local allies from among the Kurds of Iraq and Syria as well as Shias from Iraq, is not very successful so far. Saudi Arabia is demonstratively engaged with the conflict in Yemen. Turkey will not get fully involved in struggle for its own reasons. This is why observers are already talking about such alliances as US-Iran, Israel-Egypt and even … Iran-Israel. Compared to its neighbours, Iran appears to be a force really capable of rebuffing IS. Moscow is trying to push through the idea of a coalition that would pool the efforts of all countries in the region and also keep Syrian President Bashar al-Asad in the game. In this context, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has already noted that it is an absolutely wrong approach to ally with al-Asad for fighting against IS. Meanwhile, more and more petty terrorist groups in this vast region are swearing fealty to IS. In this sense, IS really looks like a state, but a medieval one where ever more vassals are trying to demonstrate their obedience to their suzerain. But it is nonetheless very dangerous and incorrect to refer to IS exactly as a "state". They have imposed this on the entire world and not without a purpose. The thing is that IS is so far successfully "creating" its "state" just because the states on the territories conquered by them are not quite capable of performing their major functions. Only strong state power capable of organizing and keeping a hold over its efficient army, internal troops and special services can counter terrorists. But this needs a more or less effective economy and political stability. However, countries that could boast this are rare in the Middle East. The weakening of state institutions has been especially noticeable in the past years in the light of the "Arab Spring". This is why barbarians, who are burning people alive and drowning them in cages, are playing the master over the vast areas and ignoring the internationally accepted state borders. The straightforward goal of IS is to cause chaos and fear, no matter for what reason.

Tunisia, from which, by the way, the Arab Spring started, can boast neither a strong economy nor a strong army, too. This state permanently fighting against local radical groups is now a neighbour to "free" Libya and Algeria. Tunisia quite strongly depends on tourism which is its second biggest source of national income. The terrorists' obvious goal was to scare holidaymakers away from the entire Mediterranean coast of Africa at the very beginning of high season. Let it be recalled that in March, two terrorists attacked the Bardo National Museum in Tunisia and killed 22 people. Tunisian Tourism Minister [Selma] el-Lumi er-Rekik said that economic losses inflicted on Tunisia by the terrorist attack could exceed 450m euros in 2015.

Increasingly disturbing is Egypt, one of the strongest Arab countries. Terrorists linked to IS militants are making regular sorties on Sinai. A few days after the terrorist acts in Tunisia, France and Kuwait, an attack was committed on several Egyptian posts and police stations in the town of Sheikh Zuweid in the province of North Sinai, so that control over the town was completely lost for a while and some 50 people were killed. More than that, Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat was assassinated in Cairo on 30 June. This led to a wave of accusations that the government was incapable of keeping the security situation under control. The air force of Egypt has carried out several air strikes on militants' bases in northern Sinai, saying that they have control of the overall situation which remains "stable but worrying".

For his part, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab has announced that Cairo is in a "state of war". The authorities of Egypt are especially concerned about the possibility of alliance between IS and the Muslim Brotherhood which is now regarded as terrorist organization in Egypt. Having great influence in the neighbouring states, especially in Tunisia, Libya and Syria, the Muslim Brotherhood is eager for revenge.

Meanwhile, the attack in Tunisia was also levelled against the Europeans. This is a clear signal that they cannot feel safe in any country of the Maghreb and the Middle East. At the same time, they cannot feel safe at home. According to MP Patrick Mennucci of the ruling Socialist Party, "France is at war". The phrase rings a bell, does it not? European politicians are trying to demonstrate their preparedness for any turn of events. French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has stated gloomily that there may be more terrorist attacks. The question is just where and when they will take place. According to him, France is under a terror threat unprecedented in the country's history. The country has up to 15,000 Salafi radicals. Many are leaving for Syria and Iraq to fight there and then coming back with combat experience. The head of government recalled that the parliament of France had already voted through two antiterrorist laws and the government had involved 30,000 policemen, gendarmes and military servicemen to guard 5,000 special facilities. For his part, British Prime Minister David Cameron has warned that IS is preparing a series of terrorist attacks against the United Kingdom. Italian police have detained a Pakistani national suspected of preparing attacks in Rome and Vatican. As a result of an antiterrorist raid held in Italy and Albania, 10 people suspected of aiding and abetting IS have been arrested. Similar measures are being taken by other European countries, especially efforts to guard facilities of strategic importance and state institutions. But is it possible to post guards at each factory, office, supermarket or bakery? That very France was quite recently discussing the Kouachi brothers who had shot and killed the Charlie Hebdo journalists, and Amedi Coulibaly who had taken hostage customers of a kosher supermarket. Is it possible to spy on everyone and, if it is, how much will security cost the Europeans? Some people say it is necessary to consolidate society. However, the march against terrorism in which an unprecedented number of politicians and top officials took part did not help. So what tactics should Europe choose?

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has announced that those terrorist acts consolidate Europe and countries of the Arab world in countering terrorism. But that very Europe admits that the policy of multiculturalism has collapsed and it is shocked by the influx of migrants from the Middle East and the Maghreb. EU countries are arguing about what they should further do with those people of no use to them. As for the migrants themselves, few things can shock them: they have gone through such sufferings back home that they will no doubt endure any measures that Brussels may take. It is another question whether they will stand shoulder to shoulder with Frenchmen, Italians and Britons against the terrorist threat?

It is noteworthy that opinions voiced on the terrorists are neutral and amazed. It is said about Seifeddine Rezgui, a 22-year-old Tunisian student who was among the beach attackers (he was dressed "like a tourist" and brought his assault rifle hidden in a sunshade) that he was not on police records. Neighbours of the terrorist in Lyons say that he was a quiet and closed-off person: 35 years old, a father of three children and never turned up in the mosque. People are perplexed why Sahli did it on Ramadan and say that this must have nothing to do with religion.

According to French periodicals, many migrants even not of the first generation will never assimilate; they have low incomes and are often involved in crime. Migrant parents have nothing to offer to their children in terms of education and prospects. At the same time, instead of the musty reality of migrant quarters, IS is promoting its new romantic reality. Ever more often can we hear voices that IS is raising the banner of communism which irrevocably compromised itself and died; that it offers caveman justice in the face of capitalism and liberalism where every man is for himself. In any event, it appears that along with assault rifles, the terrorists do have special levers of "soft power". The Bloody Friday is a conspicuous sign that, to oppose the IS threat, the international community - from Tunisia to the United Kingdom - needs something more than just repeating the mantra "we are at war now".