Terrorist Profiles Database
Comprehensive database of terrorist attackers: how they entered Europe, what policies they exploited, and where security systems failed
9
Documented Attackers
518
Total Deaths
6
Via Asylum
2
2nd Generation
Salman Ramadan Abedi
22 years old • British (Libyan parents)
22
deaths
ATTACK
Manchester Arena Bombing
DATE
May 22, 2017
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Parents granted asylum from Libya (1993) citing persecution under Gaddafi
Policy Exploited:
UK asylum system, family reunification
Asylum Status:
Parents: Asylum granted 1993, father UK citizen 2007
Background & Timeline
- •Born in Manchester to Libyan refugees who fled Gaddafi regime
- •Father Ramadan Abedi linked to Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG)
- •Rescued by Royal Navy HMS Enterprise from Libya in 2014
- •Traveled to Libya for 3 weeks, returned days before attack
- •Radicalized despite being born and raised in UK
- •Brother Hashem also involved in attack planning
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Parents granted asylum despite father's LIFG connections
- ✗Royal Navy evacuated him from Libya despite radicalization concerns
- ✗MI5 had intelligence on him but did not act
- ✗Free travel between UK and Libya enabled training
- ✗No intervention despite multiple red flags
Anis Amri
24 years old • Tunisian
12
deaths
ATTACK
Berlin Christmas Market Truck Attack
DATE
December 19, 2016
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Arrived July 2015 claiming to be Egyptian, asylum application rejected June 2016
Policy Exploited:
Asylum system exploitation, false identity, deportation delays
Asylum Status:
Asylum REJECTED June 2016, deportation pending
Background & Timeline
- •Arrived in Germany July 2015 during refugee crisis peak
- •Claimed to be Egyptian but could not answer basic questions about Egypt
- •Asylum rejected June 2016 but remained in Germany
- •Used 14 different aliases and identities
- •Tunisia initially refused to accept him back
- •Germany could not deport without proper documentation
- •Remained in Germany for 18 months despite rejection
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Asylum application not processed until 11 months after arrival
- ✗Despite rejection, allowed to remain due to missing Tunisian documents
- ✗Tunisia denied citizenship, creating deportation limbo
- ✗Temporary residence permit issued instead of detention
- ✗Documents from Tunisia arrived 2 days AFTER the attack
- ✗Under surveillance but not detained despite known radicalization
- ✗Used 14 aliases without being flagged in system
Abdelhamid Abaaoud
28 years old • Belgian (Moroccan origin)
130
deaths
ATTACK
Paris Attacks Mastermind
DATE
November 13, 2015
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Belgian citizen, coordinated from Syria, reentered via refugee routes
Policy Exploited:
EU citizenship, Schengen open borders, refugee route infiltration
Asylum Status:
Belgian citizen (parents immigrants from Morocco)
Background & Timeline
- •Son of Moroccan immigrants to Belgium
- •Grew up in Molenbeek district of Brussels
- •Traveled to Syria to join ISIS
- •Coordinated Paris attacks from Syria/Belgium
- •Killed in police raid November 18, 2015
- •Orchestrated multiple attack cells across Europe
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Second-generation immigrant radicalization
- ✗Molenbeek became known radicalization hotspot
- ✗Belgian intelligence failed to track Syria travel
- ✗Exploited Schengen for cross-border coordination
- ✗Multiple attack cell members were Belgian/French citizens
Ahmad al-Mohammad (fake identity)
25 years old • Unknown (fake Syrian passport)
130
deaths
ATTACK
Paris Attacks - Stade de France Bomber
DATE
November 13, 2015
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Fake Syrian passport, entered Greece Oct 3 2015 via refugee route
Policy Exploited:
Refugee crisis, fake Syrian documents, Balkan route
Asylum Status:
Fake identity posing as Syrian refugee
Background & Timeline
- •Entered Greece on Leros island October 3, 2015 with 197 migrants
- •Carried emergency passport for "Ahmad al Mohammad" born Sept 10, 1990
- •Traveled Athens → Macedonia → Serbia → Croatia
- •Registered at Opatovac refugee camp in Croatia
- •Reached Paris and blew himself up at Stade de France
- •Passport made in Turkey, part of ISIS fake document network
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗96% acceptance rate for Syrians created incentive for fake IDs
- ✗No verification system for Syrian passport authenticity
- ✗Registered at refugee camps without proper vetting
- ✗Open borders allowed rapid movement across 5+ countries
- ✗Fake Syrian passports widely available on black market
- ✗ISIS had access to thousands of blank Syrian passports
- ✗Crisis overwhelmed border screening capacity
Salah Abdeslam
26 years old • French (Moroccan origin)
130
deaths
ATTACK
Paris Attacks - Logistics Coordinator (survived)
DATE
November 13, 2015
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Born in Brussels, French/Belgian dual citizen
Policy Exploited:
EU citizenship, Schengen Agreement
Asylum Status:
French citizen, born in Brussels
Background & Timeline
- •Born in Brussels to Moroccan immigrant parents
- •Brother Brahim was suicide bomber at Paris café
- •Drove suicide bombers to Stade de France
- •Was supposed to blow himself up but abandoned plan
- •Escaped to Brussels and hid for 4 months
- •Captured in Molenbeek, Brussels on March 18, 2016
- •Only surviving attacker, sentenced to life in prison 2022
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Second-generation radicalization in Molenbeek
- ✗Exploited open EU borders to evade capture for months
- ✗Network of supporters helped him hide in Brussels
- ✗Brother also radicalized - family-based cell
- ✗Belgian/French intelligence cooperation failures
Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel
31 years old • Tunisian
86
deaths
ATTACK
Nice Truck Attack
DATE
July 14, 2016
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Arrived France 2005, had residence permit
Policy Exploited:
Long-term residency without integration monitoring
Asylum Status:
Legal resident with work permit
Background & Timeline
- •Arrived in France in 2005 from Tunisia
- •Had French residency permit and work authorization
- •Lived in Nice for 11 years
- •Known to police for petty crimes but not terrorism
- •Radicalized rapidly in months before attack
- •Drove 19-ton cargo truck into Bastille Day crowds
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Long-term resident who radicalized late
- ✗No terrorism watch list despite ISIS material consumption
- ✗Rapid radicalization not detected by authorities
- ✗Legal residency status despite criminal record
- ✗Failed integration despite 11 years in France
Khairi Saadallah
25 years old • Libyan
3
deaths
ATTACK
Reading Park Stabbings
DATE
June 20, 2020
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Entered UK as refugee 2012, granted leave to remain
Policy Exploited:
Asylum from Libya during Arab Spring
Asylum Status:
Refugee status granted, leave to remain
Background & Timeline
- •Libyan refugee who arrived in UK in 2012
- •Granted leave to remain after fleeing Libya
- •Mental health issues and criminal record
- •Released from prison just 2 weeks before attack
- •Shouted "Allahu Akbar" while stabbing victims in Forbury Gardens park
- •Sentenced to whole-life order (no parole)
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Granted refugee status despite security concerns
- ✗Multiple prior convictions but not deported
- ✗Released from prison despite radicalization
- ✗MI5 had intelligence but no action taken
- ✗Inquest found deaths "probably avoidable"
Abdoullakh Abouyezidovich Anzorov
18 years old • Russian (Chechen)
1
deaths
ATTACK
Samuel Paty Beheading
DATE
October 16, 2020
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Arrived France age 6 as refugee with family from Chechnya
Policy Exploited:
Chechen refugee family asylum
Asylum Status:
Refugee status granted to family
Background & Timeline
- •Arrived in France at age 6 with Chechen refugee family
- •Grew up in France after family fled Chechnya
- •Radicalized despite French upbringing
- •Beheaded teacher Samuel Paty for showing Muhammad cartoons
- •Shot dead by police shortly after attack
- •Attack coordinated via social media campaign
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Chechen refugee family granted asylum
- ✗Second-generation radicalization despite French education
- ✗Social media radicalization not monitored
- ✗Parent complaints about teacher weaponized
- ✗Extremist social networks within Chechen community
Kujtim Fejzulai
20 years old • Austrian (North Macedonian parents)
4
deaths
ATTACK
Vienna Shooting
DATE
November 2, 2020
How He Entered Europe
Entry Method:
Born in Austria to North Macedonian immigrants
Policy Exploited:
Austrian citizenship by birth
Asylum Status:
Austrian citizen
Background & Timeline
- •Born in Austria to North Macedonian (Albanian) immigrant parents
- •Attempted to travel to Syria to join ISIS
- •Arrested and imprisoned for terrorism in April 2019
- •Released early in December 2019 after 22 months (deradica tion program)
- •Purchased ammunition in Slovakia in July 2020
- •Shot 23 people in Vienna city center before being killed by police
- •Had dual citizenship: Austria and North Macedonia
System Failures & Policy Weaknesses
- ✗Released from prison after only 22 months of 30-month sentence
- ✗"Deradicalization" program clearly failed
- ✗Continued plotting immediately after release
- ✗Austrian/Slovak intelligence sharing failure (ammunition purchase)
- ✗Early release despite clear ISIS support
- ✗Second-generation immigrant radicalization
Common Policy Failures Identified
Asylum System Exploitation
- • Fake identity documents (especially Syrian passports)
- • Deportation delays due to missing paperwork
- • High Syrian acceptance rates (96% in Germany 2015)
- • Overwhelmed border screening during crisis
- • Failed integration despite years of residency
Intelligence & Security Failures
- • Released from prison despite radicalization
- • "Deradicalization" programs failed
- • Under surveillance but not detained
- • Cross-border intelligence sharing gaps
- • Second-generation radicalization not addressed
Data Sources
- ▪Court trial documents and verdicts (Paris, Brussels, Vienna, UK)
- ▪Police and intelligence service investigation reports
- ▪Europol TE-SAT annual terrorism reports
- ▪Government parliamentary inquiries and official reports
- ▪Media investigations with verified court/official sources