[Transcript]
[Video Clip - U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May]
While the recent attacks are not connected by common networks they are connected in one important sense. They are bound together by the single evil ideology of Islamist extremism that preaches hatred, sows division and promotes sectarianism. It is an ideology that claims our Western values of freedom, democracy and human rights, are incompatible with the religion of Islam.
[end video clip]
Bill Hemmer: My next guest predicted such a rise in terror attacks in Europe more than a year ago. He is Pete Hoekstra, former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. And sir, from Grand Rapids, MI thank you for taking time with our audience today. What were you seeing a year ago that led you to believe that?
Pete Hoekstra: Well a year ago we did an analysis at the Investigative Project on Terrorism. We saw an increase of over 700% in the lethality, the number of people who were being killed because of the result of radical jihadist attacks, from around 3,200 people in 2011 to 2015 that number had increased to 27,000. From 3,200 to 27,000. Think about it. We saw 5 failed states in the Middle East – Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, and then in Afghanistan. That's where the violence was concentrated, but it was starting to spread into Africa and Asia and then Europe clearly was identified as a fertile ground. ISIS and radical jihadists out of Libya and Syria, they are on the soft underbelly with easy access into Europe. It was a prime target.
Hemmer: It was the physical movement then, right? It wasn't just the sort of Internet talk that you get and watch all the time.
(delay due to technical issues)
Hemmer: Our apologies there. Hang with us one moment here. Pete Hoekstra the republican from Michigan there. If we get the line reestablished let me know because this is very important stuff when they think about the study and what he went to find. This is one of his conclusions; put it on the screen for viewers. In Europe he talked about an increase in attacks over the next 18-24 months. He also talked about in Africa the terror expanding numerically and geographically, this all according to the study that they were doing a year ago. Middle East the Islamists would target Jordan, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. You may have caught a map there a moment ago. See if you can pick that map back up here because what I think ask we bring the former Congressman back into the conversation again, what I think you— When you look at this map the thing that is striking to me is what's happening in Western Europe, sir.
Hoekstra: It really is. The policies that Western Europe has had in place for the last 20 years – mass immigration, no vetting of the people coming in and many cases welcoming jihadists into their countries, especially into the UK. Then you see a lack of assimilation and then the immigration migration in the last 24 to 36 months of people coming from Libya in Syria with very little to no vetting, experienced fighters, jihadists. This is the cesspool that is creating this environment in Europe now that is breeding these kinds of attacks. Our government officials saw it coming. This is not brain surgery. They saw it coming. I'm not sure that they've reacted strong enough. And clearly they have not prepared the public for what's happening there today.