Interview: Switzerland should up counter-terrorism measures amid evolving threats: Swiss expert

Though Switzerland is not a priority target for terrorists, the threat posed by terrorism has pushed the nation to adapt to the evolving nature of terrorist groups, an expert has said.

"Compared with other European nations, Switzerland is not a priority target because it is not involved in the Middle-East and Africa in the same way as nations such as France, Germany or the UK," the director of Geneva's Centre for Training and Analysis of Terrorism Jean-Paul Rouiller told Xinhua Thursday.

Despite this, Rouiller outlined the risks posed by ISIS adopting new ways of thinking and strategies to conduct its operations outside its realm of control which includes large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

With many terrorist acts carried out on the basis of opportunity, Rouiller explained that ISIS uses the knowledge of both its members and sympathizers to its advantage to conduct attacks.

A number of ISIS combatants currently fighting in Syria hail from Switzerland and ISIS followers are present in French, German and Italian speaking parts of the confederation, according to Rouiller.

This means that Switzerland can be confronted to the same risks as its European neighbors, with events emulating the Thalys train attack in August or the Canadian parliament assault over a year ago entirely possible.

In light of this, Switzerland modified its system to support police communication at all levels to enhance counter-terrorism capabilities, while also enabling the country's intelligence services to collaborate with municipal, cantonal and federal law enforcement agencies.

A new law seeking to increase the surveillance capacities carried out by Swiss authorities has also been drafted, though it is currently blocked.

"The problem posed by terrorism not only touches upon security issues, it is also about society and integration," Rouiller noted, adding that Switzerland is entirely in line with EU and international counter-radicalization and de-radicalization frameworks.

"It is less difficult to prevent someone from being radicalized than it is to de-radicalize an individual," Rouiller observed, adding that de-radicalization programs are not only costly financially but also in terms of time and personnel.

According to the Swiss expert, those who are particularly susceptible to radicalization are aged between 15 and 25 years old and have more often than not suffered from professional, sentimental or family setbacks which combined with other factors can push certain people to radical leanings. Endit