Identify, charge, prosecute and even eliminate those who fund or support IS. I'm not against the idea of assassination, but we need to do that in a manner that's as 'reasonably just' as possible.

Identify, charge, prosecute and even eliminate those who fund or support IS. I'm not against the idea of assassination, but we need to do that in a manner that's as 'reasonably just' as possible.

...and provided any such acts were kept quiet. Half the problems have arisen because every time a door's kicked in its all over 24hr news sensationalising the event and fuelling the fire of the terrorists.

I don't think that your first paragraph holds true - The UK experienced migration of Muslims from India and pakistan during the 70s and 80s, without any real problems, even into the 90s, the UK had little or any real problem in regard to Muslim terrorism or terrorist factions.

Post-2001 it changed, and there was definitely a big change following the invasion of Iraq. There is almost a situation where you have a generation of young Muslims, typically male, attracted by specifically Wahhabi based fundamentalism and extremists. I don't doubt that before that there were fundamentalist and extremist leaning or allied Muslims in the UK, but they weren't 'active against the UK and Europe'.

My feeling is that post 2001 we've become increasingly involved in the issues of the US in regards to its foreign policy in the middle east, which seems to be more directly linked to the conflict we are now experiencing.

Throughout the 90s, Al-Qaeda was engaged in a conflict with the US, based around its support of Saudi Arabia and to a lesser extent Israel whilst many of the 'extreme fundamentalists' in the UK seemed to be directed towards the Soviet-Afghan war and movements against regimes like Saudi, Jordan etc.

I think, 9/11 changed this, supporting the Afghan response of the US affected it, but that the 2003 invasion of Iraq essentially put the UK firmly onto the target list, as we drew closer to the US foreign policy in the middle east and becoming a direct participant in the war on terror

What is true, is that during the 90s, the UK had no real threat from Islamist groups, then after 2003 the number of arrests and conspiracies in the UK rocketed.

In terms of IS, it doesn't really surprise me that IS are attacking Western Countries, given that the we've been attacking IS. Its hard to say who started that - or that its wrong for the UK to actively target IS, we don't really have a choice in the matter - They have to be stopped. Those who travel to fight for IS should expect the full force of the law, and if they're active abroad against the UK, then everything they get.

But that will be meaningless, if we cannot address the issues with young Muslims that leads them to address their anger and frustration in society through violent means.

Next time I meet someone who is I will pass on your concerns.

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