Never let it be said that the most wicked, evil goblins among the ranks of international Islamic terrorists aren't capable of changing tactics when necessary. We've seen it before, and we'll see it again. While the actual attackers are, very often, accurately described as "useful idiots," the planners, the schemers, the leaders of the movements, who are very often sitting in luxury apartments far from danger, aren't so stupid.
That is in large part what makes them dangerous.
Now, in Europe, we are seeing an increase in small-scale attacks: Arson, vandalism, stabbing attacks, mostly aimed at Jewish and Israel-linked targets. Now we learn that a shadowy group, thought to be a proxy for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), may be responsible for these attacks, and they are, again, trying something different. The group is called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which translates, more or less, into "Islamic Right-Hand Companions Movement."
European intelligence agencies are investigating a growing wave of attacks on Jewish and Israeli-linked sites believed to be connected to a shadowy organisation known as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya (HAYI), which security officials suspect may operate as a proxy for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The group, which emerged shortly after the start of the Iran war in late February, has claimed responsibility for a series of low-level attacks across at least seven European countries, including Britain, Belgium, Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
The incidents have largely involved arson, vandalism, and small improvised explosive devices targeting synagogues, Jewish charities, and Iranian opposition organisations.
These attacks may start small, by comparison to attacks like the World Trade Center attack in 2001, or the October 7th, 2023, attack on Israel. But starting small doesn't mean they will stay small. They will, inevitably, escalate; we can count on that. New goblins will join this movement, will seek to make a name for themselves, to try something bigger, more horrible. Its' what they do, and when eternity in Paradise is their expected reward, we can hardly expect them to care overly much if they die in the attempt.
Back to this new group: Here's what HAYI is doing differently:
Analysts believe HAYI represents a new form of ‘gig economy’ terrorism—rather than relying on trained operatives, the network is said to recruit young local offenders with petty criminal backgrounds through encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram and Snapchat, offering modest sums of money to carry out simple acts of intimidation and violence.
German and Dutch intelligence services have traced the group’s propaganda distribution to channels associated with pro-Iranian militias and Tehran’s “axis of resistance.”
Experts say the network’s visual branding and messaging closely resemble those of Hezbollah and Iraqi Shia militias backed by Tehran.
Authorities across Europe have made at least 44 arrests linked to HAYI-related incidents, many involving teenagers and young adults.
Groups like Hamas and Hezbollah are rightly described as paramilitary groups. While not the traditional uniformed force of a nation-state, they wear military attire and employ military tactics and maneuvers, alongside irregular tactics. But HAYI is, according to these reports, employing criminals, thugs, punks, miscreants of all sorts, and we should remember that Europe has welcomed in millions of "migrants" from the Middle East and North Africa, many, perhaps most of them being unaccompanied young men of fighting age.
The use of social media isn't new (and we probably shouldn't expect to see them adopt the use of pagers) but it's growing more sophisticated, with the use of encrypted platforms. This is making them harder to track and harder to interdict.
As I said, the people who are behind all this may be evil, but that doesn't mean they are stupid.
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Here is what seems to be HAYI's desired effect:
Security officials warn that while most attacks so far have caused limited physical damage, the campaign appears designed to spread fear, inflame communal tensions, and stretch counter-terrorism resources across multiple countries.
Again, not the dumbest thing they ever thought of. Europe may be in for the death of a thousand cuts from these goblins: A fire here, a stabbing there, and pretty soon the actual citizens of Europe, especially the Jewish ones, will be hesitant to leave their homes at night - or even in daylight.
This is yet another reason why the rule of the mullahs in Iran has to end. Here's the part we Americans should be concerned about: If HAYI can do this in Europe, then they, or a similar group, can do it here, in the United States. Remember also, during the four years of non-enforcement of our border and immigration laws, over 1,500 Iranian nationals were caught trying to enter the United States on our southern border. Of those, over 700 were released into the USA. And those, mind you, are only the ones we know about.
Where are those people now? What are they doing? What do they intend to do? And who, if anyone, do they report to? We don't know, and that's the really dreadful part of all this.
The head of the serpent may be found in Tehran. None of this will be resolved until the head of the snake is cut off.
