Global wave of terror plots sparks new alarms over the West’s growing vulnerability

Terrorist attacks in Sydney and foiled Christmas market plot in Germany, along with ISIS gunman killing U.S. troops in Syria, raise fears of rising extremist violence.

The sense of unease deepened further after an ISIS-affiliated gunman in Syria killed two U.S. service members and wounded an American civilian working alongside American forces. While the attack took place overseas, national security analysts say it reflects a pattern troubling Western governments: individuals able to inflict harm quickly with minimal planning, animated by broader ideological movements rather than directed by terrorist networks.