According to the London Times, an MI5 official has warned of a new terror threat to the West from “self-radicalising kids” who are not al-Qaeda jihadists but are inspired by images on the internet to carry out their own attacks.
He said that these young people are emotionally rather than ideologically driven and may plot terror attacks without attending training camps or consulting al Qaeda organizers. However, as the official noted, “terrorists are methodically and intentionally targeting young people and children … They are radicalizing, indoctrinating and grooming young, vulnerable people…”
He added: “With kids getting their ideas from the internet, there’s no way that any security service can handle that without the help of the local communities. People have to raise their hand and say something about what’s going on, it has to come from the communities,” he said.
Educators at all levels should be at the forefront of confronting this malignant problem.