France Terror Warning
October 18, 2010
French sources tell Fox News that the latest threat of a potential terrorist attack in Europe and particularly France is being taken seriously in Paris. They say Saudi intelligence don’t give these warnings lightly. They issued such a warning a few days ago.
Soldiers patrol on October 18, 2010 near the Eiffel tower in Paris. France said on October 3 that it was staying vigilant and had taken into consideration the US State Department's warnings on travelling in Europe because of 'the potential for terrorist attacks'. The US State Department earlier alerted 'US citizens to the potential for terrorist attacks in Europe.
The Saudis are not commenting publicly, but sources say it is unusual that the French would talk about such a tip. Intelligence is shared all the time but usually kept quiet.
That said, there has been an obvious decision made to alert the public so that they can be extra vigilant. Other warnings were issued last month. French sources say they were less real than this latest from the Saudis. Security at the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame has been beefed up. All of Europe has been warned to keep an eye out for anything suspicious and to avoid extremely crowded public places. But otherwise, it has been quite vague.
This latest threat coming from the Saudis concerns Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is made up largely of Saudis and Yemenis, some of whom passed through Guantanamo Bay, and a plot they may be hatching for execution in Europe, particularly France. Experts say they typically don’t operate outside the Arabian Peninsula. But the Nigerian man who attempted to set off an explosion in a plane over Detroit last Christmas was sent by the group.
Earlier threats to France were from Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (Northern Africa). There are some factors that may have fuelled Northern African militants’ rage, including the banning of the neqab, or full-face burqa in France, the fact that France has around 3700 troops in Afghanistan, and there is some French military presence in Africa against a backdrop of colonial history.
France has large economic interests in Africa. One is the mining of uranium for nuclear power. Recently several French in the industry were taken hostage in Niger. A French hostage being held in Mali was killed last summer. And a British one in 2009 by Al Qaeda militants. Recently Spain paid $10 million in ransom for two of its citizens taken hostage by Al Qaeda in the Maghreb and allegedly the release of an Al Qaeda leader from Mali. That sparked a debate about the payment of ransom in effect likely bankrolling the Al Qaeda organization in Northern Africa. But where ransom has not been paid, hostages have been killed in the past year or so.
Some opponents of French President Nicolas Sarkozy suggest he is releasing information about terror threats in order to enhance his own image as able protector of the people, to shore up his support ahead of the next elections, that it is all a bit politically motivated. France has been wracked by demonstrations and strikes this fall. But we do know that terror warnings are not something unique to France--over the past month they have been issued by Washington. And Britain also issued warnings to its citizens travelling on the European continent.
The French press is not giving much time or space to this latest terror threat. It may be that people have fatigue of all these vague warnings. But that fatigue could be a danger when the only request made of the public in Europe really is to remain very vigilant at this time.
