Podcast Summary: "Terrorismo: no es la regularización, son las guerras"

Un tema Al Día – elDiario.es
Host: Juanlu Sánchez
Date: March 23, 2026
Guests: Jesús Núñez (Codirector, Instituto de Estudios sobre Conflictos y Acción Humanitaria), Gonzalo Fanjul (Investigador, Fundación por Causa)

Overview

This episode of “Un tema Al Día” tackles the persistent myth that immigration is linked to terrorism, contrasting it with the less discussed yet deeper relationship between war, foreign intervention, and the rise of terrorist threats. Host Juanlu Sánchez, with expert guests, breaks down how militaristic policies abroad have historically fueled terrorism, debunks political rhetoric connecting migration to terrorist risk, and discusses the societal dangers of conflating these issues in public discourse.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. War and Its Connection to Terrorism (00:04–03:40)

• Moral Responsibility and Political Justification for War:
  Juanlu Sánchez criticizes the ease with which political actors—in particular, those not directly involved in making war decisions—support foreign interventions for tactical alliances, citing U.S. wars and Spain's historical alignment.

  • Quote:
    "Apoyar una guerra... que va a asesinar inocentes... no debe ser moralmente fácil. Pero cuando defiendes la guerra de otro... eso sí que debe ser duro." (Juanlu Sánchez, 00:04)

• Political Rhetoric and the Blame Game:
  Politicians, like Feijóo, shift blame for potential terrorism away from wars and onto immigration policies, creating a narrative that avoids addressing the role of foreign interventions.

  • Quote:
    "Probablemente en los próximos meses se incrementará la alerta antiterrorista... el efecto llamada de una regularización es una auténtica temeridad." (Feijóo, 02:11)

2. The Real Roots and Evolution of Terrorism (03:09–06:12)

• Persistence of the Terrorist Threat:
  Jesús Núñez asserts that although large-scale attacks (like 9/11 or Madrid’s 11-M) are no longer frequent in the West, terrorism persists and has shifted geographically (e.g., Sahel).

  • Quote:
    "No hay una solución militar contra la amenaza del terrorismo... jugar con fuego acaba derivando en la alimentación de esa misma amenaza." (Jesús Núñez, 03:40)

• Impact of the Pandemic and Other Crises:
  The destruction of Daesh's caliphate and the pandemic led to a perception that terrorism was “solved,” which is dangerously misleading. New threats—climate change, AI, tech disruptions—divert public attention, but resentments and root causes remain.

  • Quote:
    "Parecería que se ha ido diluyendo una amenaza que, insisto, sigue existiendo..." (Jesús Núñez, 05:13)

3. Immigration, Xenophobia, and False Narratives (06:12–08:02)

• Debunking the Immigration–Terrorism Link:
  Gonzalo Fanjul systematically refutes claims of a causal connection between immigration and terrorism, citing academic research showing immigrants are more often victims, not perpetrators, and that increased migration is statistically linked to lower terrorism rates.

  • Quote:
    "Esta supuesta vinculación entre más migraciones y terrorismo sencillamente no es cierta y no hay nada en la literatura ni en la experiencia que pruebe este trasvase." (Gonzalo Fanjul, 06:40)
  • Points to the role of far-right discourse in weaponizing terrorism fears for political gain.

• Responsibility of Mainstream Politicians:
  Fanjul criticizes the opposition leader for adopting arguments typical of the far right, warning of the broader societal dangers.

  • Quote:
    "...es profundamente inquietante. El Partido Popular debe considerar los muchos argumentos éticos, económicos, prácticos, políticos que justifican una regularización..." (Gonzalo Fanjul, 07:25)

4. Mechanisms & Historical Patterns Linking War to Terrorism (08:02–12:40)

• Why and How Wars Fuel Terrorism:
  Núñez explains that terrorism is often a weapon of the weak against stronger powers, typically emerging in societies with real or perceived marginalization, and exacerbated by foreign intervention.

  • Quote:
    "El terrorismo es un instrumento de acción política que busca siempre el débil con respecto al fuerte..." (Jesús Núñez, 08:30)
  • Historical examples: U.S. actions in Afghanistan, support of mujahideen, and the Iraq War's aftermath.

• The Iraq War as 'Perfect Storm':
  The 2003 invasion—framed as Islam vs. the West—not only failed to address dictatorship, but energized and legitimized recruitment for groups like Al Qaeda and, later, Daesh.

  • Quote:
    "Sirvió para quienes estaban en el ámbito de Al Qaeda y más tarde en el de Daesh, para reclutar gente..." (Jesús Núñez, 10:00)

• Blowback of Proxy Militias:
  U.S.-backed forces in Afghanistan later turned into the Taliban and Al Qaeda; newly emboldened, they targeted not just the original 'enemy' but their Western sponsors as well.

  • Quote:
    "Se han vuelto contra quien les daba de comer y... han atacado... a los propios Estados Unidos..." (Jesús Núñez, 11:40)

5. Present and Future Risks: The Iran Case (12:40–14:39)

• Emerging Dangers in Iran:
  Current U.S.–Israeli strategies risk unleashing new cycles of violence by supporting disaffected militias inside Iran—baluchis, kurds—playing, yet again, with the fire of creating chaos for short-term geopolitical gains.
  • Quote:
    "Parte de las intenciones... es convertir a Irán en un país caótico... alimentar, financiar, armar a milicias..." (Jesús Núñez, 12:53)
  • Cautions that such meddling risks repeating disastrous mistakes of the past.

6. Islamophobia and Sociopolitical Manipulation (14:39–17:18)

• Growing Islamophobia and Its Political Utility:
  Sánchez and Núñez discuss the concerted effort to redirect xenophobic anxieties, shifting from antisemitism to anti-Muslim sentiment, and how it feeds militaristic and exclusionary agendas in Europe.

  • Quote:
    "Como si todos los creyentes en la Fe del Islam... fueran por definición salvajes terroristas violentos..." (Jesús Núñez, 15:19)

• Failures of Military Solutions:
  Any real solution to terrorism lies in combating structural inequalities and injustices, not in military interventions or scapegoating minorities.

  • Quote:
    "El instrumento militar no sirve... la segunda cuestión para contrarrestar... es reducir e idealmente eliminar las brechas de desigualdad..." (Jesús Núñez, 15:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Blunt opening on hypocrisy in war rhetoric:
  "Apoyar una guerra... no debe ser moralmente fácil... Pero cuando defiendes la guerra de otro... eso sí que debe ser duro."
  (Juanlu Sánchez, 00:04)

• Academic refutation of migration-terror link:
  "Esta supuesta vinculación entre más migraciones y terrorismo sencillamente no es cierta... Lo contrario, sin embargo, sí es cierto."
  (Gonzalo Fanjul, 06:40)

• Condemnation of far-right manipulation:
  "...una ultraderecha que se ha echado al monte y que miente de manera patológica..."
  (Gonzalo Fanjul, 07:06)

• Summary of the defining lesson about militarism and terrorism:
  "...el instrumento militar no sirve... el de que el instrumento militar no está equipado ni instruido, ni mentalizado..."
  (Jesús Núñez, 15:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:04 – Introduction and main argument by Juanlu Sánchez
• 01:05–02:25 – Spanish political discourse: Feijóo and the migration-terrorism narrative
• 03:09–05:13 – Jesús Núñez on evolution and current status of terrorism
• 06:40–08:02 – Gonzalo Fanjul debunks migration-terrorism link
• 08:30–11:35 – Historical mechanisms: how wars feed terrorism (Núñez)
• 12:53–14:39 – Current risks with Iran and parallels to past errors
• 14:39–17:18 – Islamophobia, far-right political strategies, and structural solutions

Conclusion

This episode delivers a clear, evidence-based counterpoint to political and media narratives blaming immigration for terrorism, instead drawing a direct line from militaristic Western interventions to the proliferation of terrorist groups. Guests analyze the mechanics behind terror, the repetition of historical mistakes, and call for tackling inequity and prejudice, not scapegoating, as the path to true security.