Moderated by Raffaele Crocco.
Having been sent multiple times to the Middle East, Quirico is a deep connoisseur of the complex issues related to the Syrian conflict, the advance of jihadists in Syria and Iraq, and the growing alarm over terrorism in Europe following the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels. The first time Quirico heard about the Caliphate was during his imprisonment in Syrian territory. Abu Omar, the leader of the jihadist group, was categorical: “We will build, thanks to God the Great Merciful, the Caliphate of Syria. But our task is just beginning. In the end, the Great Caliphate will be reborn, from Al-Andalus to Asia.” The Great Caliphate was thus a precise strategic project to link with battle and terrorism plans. Upon Quirico's return to Italy, these revelations received no attention. However, within a few months, everything changed, and the Great Caliphate today represents a political and military reality with which peoples and governments around the world are dramatically forced to confront.
