Ray Kelly: ISIS 'Noose Tightening' Has Led to Europe's 'New Normal'

The outbreak of radical Islamic terrorism in Europe is the "new normal," exacerbated by a  "noose tightening" on ISIS in the Middle East, a lack of U.S.-caliber security measures in Europe, and a general tolerance of extremists, former NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly said Sunday.

"As terrorism is concerned, in the Middle East you see the noose tightening around ISIS, around the city of Raqqa, which is the de facto headquarters, Mosul, and their holding of Mosul is on its last legs," Kelly told "The Cats Roundtable" on 970 AM-N.Y.

"In reaction to that, the word has gone out and has gone out for awhile – 'do what you can where you can' – to these fledgling jihadists. That is what you see, I believe, manifesting itself in Europe."

Those ISIS losses in the Middle East ostensibly moves the fight to European streets, and it will only get worse, according to Kelly, because security in the European countries is not as tight as the U.S.

"Unfortunately, we are going to see more of this action," Kelly told host John Catsimatidis. "It's sort of the new normal in Europe now. Hopefully it doesn't come here, although there is certainly potential for that."

Europe's security failures lie in coordination between countries and tolerance of "extremist speech," according to Kelly.

"In Europe they need to get their act together a little bit more," he said. "They don't coordinate. They don't communicate with each other on the level that they should. I think they are paying the price for that. And they have also had a bit of a tradition of tolerating extremist speech.

"Things have to change in Europe.

"One of the reasons is there is still hostility between several countries in Europe, de facto hostility. They are not willing to give up information about sources and methods to other countries in the EU."

There is also a socio-economic factor working against Muslims in Europe, Kelly added, as they are not doing as well as they can in America.

"The Muslim community in America is well ensconced into the middle class – that's not the case in European cities," Kelly told Catsimatidis. "There is no upward mobility like we have here. And I think that fosters disenchantment and may be the reason for some of these people acting out – or adds to it.

"They are going to be living with this for a while in Europe. And hopefully it doesn't spread here, but it certainly could."

Kelly is author of "Vigilance: My Life Serving America and Protecting Its Empire City."

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