Clues point that the terrorist organization DAESH is preparing a large scale, unprecedented attack, according to General Sorin Gabriel Cozma, head of the General Direction for Preventing and Combating Terrorism within the Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI).

He didn't mention where the secret services expect this attack to take place or if it would target one or more countries at the same time.

Cozma held a 2-hour lecture at the Historic Film Festival in Rasnov last weekend. He talked about SRI and its role in Romanian society and about the international terrorist threats.

He thinks that DAESH is the strongest brand terrorism has created so far. “We talk about DAESH, not ISIS or ISIL. We can’t allow this organization to be called state,” the general said.

He added that DAESH is a genetic mutation of Al-Quaeda adapted to the new information society we live in and explained the main differences between the two terrorist organizations:

“Al-Qaeda relied on Al-Jazeera (a TV station based in Qatar - e.n.). DAESH belongs to the Facebook and Twitter age. Al-Qaeda runs its franchises from the distance, has a passive management style. DAESH is more involved in day to day operations, transfers know-how and human resources to its franchises, has an active management style, Cozma explained.

He also pointed out that while Al-Qaeda has been trying recently to avoid attacks that would cause Muslim or civil victims, DAESH was acting with unjustified violence without filtering its victims.

According to the SRI official, in recent years there has been a transition from Islamic radicalization to the Islamization of radicals.

France, Germany, and the US have been hit by a wave of isolated terrorist attacks conducted by Islamic radicals, in recent weeks, after deadly attacks in Brussels and Istanbul earlier this year. ISIS warned that London would be the next target.

Romania's Supreme Country Defense Council - CSAT decided last week to maintain the current "cautious" terrorist alert level, which means that available information and recent events indicate that there is a low risk of terrorist attack in Romania.

Romanian Intelligence Service’s guide on how and when to report a possible terrorist threat

Over 340 people suspected of terrorism, banned or expelled from Romania in 2015

editor@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: Festivalul de Film Istoric Rasnov on Facebook)