EUROPEANS RADICALISED

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What do you think the process of someone becoming radicalised as a potential terrorist is? Listen to the report and answer these questions: 1 According to the EUs head of counterterrorism, how many Europeans are now fighting with rebel forces in Syria? 2 What are intelligence agencies concerned about? 3 What instruction does the person in the video give in Flemish? 4 How does Brians aunt feel when she sees the video of him? 5 According to Ingrid, how did Brian change? 6 What did Belgian police raid last week? 7 How does the radicalising impact happen? 8 What have Dutch officials raised the terror threat level to? 9 What does the man interviewed say about going to Syria? 10 What have some people criticised Muslim leaders in Belgium for? 11 What is the reaction of the president of the Muslim Executive in Belgium? 12 What is the EU pushing for? 13 What does Brian de Mulders aunt hope? Read the article below on the subject and complete the gaps using what you learned from the radio report.

The Independent
April 2013

come into contact with ___________________ of the opposition. Al-Qaidalinked groups are known to operate on the fringes of the movement to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

And as weve seen this might lead to a serious threat when they get back. He said that ___________ of Europeans were in Syria fighting with the rebels. A study by Kings College London earlier this month put the figure at 600. Security officials in the UK have said that up to 100 British Muslims have gone to fight in Syria. They fear the conflict is not only attracting young men who sympathise with the rebels, but also aspiring jihadists who want to train and fight.

Europeans who fight The Netherlands has in Syrian war may be a raised its terror alert to ____________________, threat at home
Gilles de Kerchove, the EUs ______________________, has warned that Europeans travelling to Syria to join the rebels could pose a threat back home on their return, echoing concerns in ____________________ where the government is considering intercepting aspiring fighters at airports. Fears are growing throughout Europe that impressionable young Muslims could

citing fears that people returning from Syria could plot attacks, while ______________________ raided dozens of homes across the country last week in an effort to crack down on the networks recruiting potential fighters. Not all of them are radical when they leave, but most likely many of them will be ______________________ there, will be trained, Mr de Kerchove, told the BBC.

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Discussion How big a danger is the radicalisation of Europeans in your opinion? What type of person do you think would be easy to radicalise and how would people go about doing it? Vocabulary focus Choose the best option to complete the gaps in these extracts from the article: 1 ...has warned that Europeans travelling to Syria to join the rebels could put / pose / place a threat back home on their return, echoing / repeating / resounding concerns in Belgium where the government is considering intercepting inspiring / aspiring / perspiring fighters at airports. 2 Fears are growing throughout Europe that impressionable / impressive / impervious young Muslims could come into contact with Islamist factions of the opposition. 3 Al-Qaida-linked groups are known to operate on the ledges / ends / fringes of the movement to oust President Bashar al-Assad. 4 The Netherlands has raised its terror alert to substantial citing / quoting / telling fears that people returning from Syria could plot attacks, while Belgian police raided dozens of homes across the country last week in an effort to crack down on the networks recruiting possible / probable / potential fighters. 5 He estimated that about 500 Europeans were in Syria fighting with the rebels. A study by Kings College London earlier this month put the number / amount / figure at 600. Vocabulary practice Complete these sentences with the correct form of the words and expressions above: 1 When asked how many tourists he expected this year, the tourism boss ________________ at three million. 2 The police chief _______________________ of the politicians saying that violent crime is on the increase. 3 The biologists said that foreign species __________________________ to native plants. 4 The engineering company held an open day to show ___________________ engineers what they can expect if they enter the profession. 5 Many people who live on the ______________ of society don't receive health care or education from the state. 6 They explained the __________________ risks of the mission to the astronauts. Language focus Look at the following sentence from the article: And as weve seen this might lead to a serious threat when they get back. What does get back mean here? Get can have many meanings depending on the preposition that follows it. Complete the gaps to make the phrasal verbs defined. 1 get __________ to imply 2 get __________ to continue ones way of life (often with difficulty) 3 get __________ to escape punishment 4 get __________ to have a good relationship 5 get __________ to overcome a difficulty / recover from an illness 6 get __________ to escape Practice Complete the sentences read to you with the phrasal verbs studied.

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Teachers notes Total pages 3 / student pages 2 / week of 06.05.13 / CD track 4 / intermediate+ (B1+) Gapfill Words in order of appearance: counterterrorism coordinator - Belgium - Islamist factions substantial - Belgian police radicalised - hundreds Vocabulary focus 1 pose - echoing - aspiring 2 impressionable 3 fringes 4 citing - potential 5 figure Vocabulary practice 1 put the figure 2 echoed the concerns 3 pose a threat 4 aspiring 5 fringes 6 potential Language focus What does get back mean here? = return 1 get at 2 get by 3 get off 4 get on 5 get over 6 get away Practice Read these sentences and get the students to complete them using the phrasal verbs studied: Unemployment benefit payments are really low in the UK. I dont know how people on the dole... (get by) Hes never been convicted, but all the evidence points to him so this time hell find it difficult to ... (get off) I hardly see my brother, weve never really ... (got on) You look a bit tired. Yes, I still havent ... that cold I had. (got over) The director gave us a long talk on loyalty to the company this morning. Really, what do you think he was ...? (getting at) The police chased the thief, but he was fast and... (got away) Transcript The EUs head of counterterrorism has told the BBC hundreds of Europeans are now fighting with rebel forces in
Syria. Intelligence agencies are concerned some could join Jihadi groups linked to Al Qaeda and later return to Europe to launch terrorist attacks. The BBC has met one Belgian family who say their son has travelled to Syria to fight alongside rebels against Bashar Al Assads regime. Our Europe correspondent Duncan Crawford reports. A group of rebel fighters crouch on the ridge of a hill full of yellow flowers as bullets whizz past. The gunfire you can hear comes from an online video. We cant verify it but analysts believe it was filmed in Syria and European voices can be heard. Only shoot once when you see them someone says in Flemish. In another video a group of fighters line up to pray. One has been identified as Brian De Mulder, a 19-year-old from Belgium. Thats Brian, no doubt. Youre 100% sure? 100% sure, thats him. I met Brians aunt Ingrid at her home. When you see that video how do you feel seeing him like that? Its not the Brian that was brought up by his mother. Brian was an athletic, he was sporty, he was a golden heart and we never saw him like this. For me its a programmed robot. Ingrid told me Brian converted to Islam two years ago and gradually became radicalised. He changed because he became fanatic, he wanted to pray only, he left school and then he started to talk in a fanatic way like, I can do whatever I want, even if I die I am not afraid, I go to the paradise of Allah. Brians family say he left for Syria in January. Suspicion has fallen on an organisation known as Sharia for Belgium. Last week Belgian police raided houses of people suspected of recruiting youngsters to fight in Syria. The EUs counterterrorism coordinator Gilles de Kerchove told me hundreds of Europeans are going and some could join radical groups. Not all of them are radical one day when they leave, but most likely many of them will be radicalised there, will be trained, and as we have seen in previous situations this might create a serious threat when they get back. So how big a concern is that? That theyre going to go out there, become more radicalised, become better trained and return onto European home soil and launch an attack here? Yes, and inspire others because they will be a veteran and all this may have a sort of radicalising impact. Intelligence agencies across Europe have stepped up investigations. In the UK and in Belgium they have increased efforts to track how fighters are recruited while Dutch officials have raised the terror threat level to substantial partly over concerns about radicalised citizens returning. At this mosque in Antwerp men line up in full Islamic dress for afternoon prayers. This is one of the areas police believe young men are being radicalised and recruited to go to Syria and I want to speak to local Muslims about it. Why do you think young people would want to go? Maybe they are thinking the people need help there, maybe if its a possibility for me also I can go there in Syria to help the people who may need help. Would you consider going to Syria? Yeah, thats right. Not to fight, to help the people who need help. Some have blamed Muslim leaders in Belgium for not speaking out forcefully enough against radical elements. Shemsettin Ugurlu, president of the Muslim Executive here, says they cant control how everyone acts. Some people may be talking in a way that might radicalise some Muslims but we categorically condemn this. As a body we do not accept words of hate and of violence in mosques. The EU is pushing to bring in a Europe-wide passenger database for air travel which in future could help track individuals down, but for Brian de Mulders family its too late. Do you think youll ever see Brian again? I am praying every day, I hope he sees the light one day. To use their words, inshallah.