Terror Plot To Attack European Cities Foiled
11:41am UK, Wednesday September 29, 2010

Terror Plot To Attack European Cities Foiled - Yahoo! News UK

Intelligence agencies have intercepted a terror plot to launch Mumbai-style attacks on Britain and other European countries, according to Sky News sources. Sky's foreign affairs editor Tim Marshall said militants based in Pakistan were planning simultaneous strikes in London, as well as cities in France and Germany.

He said the plan was in an "advanced but not imminent stage" and the plotters had been tracked by spy agencies "for some time". Marshall said an increase in drone attacks in Pakistan in the past few weeks was linked to attempts by Western powers to disrupt the plot. He said the planned attacks would have been similar to the commando-style raids carried out in Mumbai by Pakistan-based gunmen in 2008.

Then, the heavily armed militants launched an assault on various targets in the Indian city, killing 166 people.

US officials said America appeared to have increased drone aircraft attacks against al Qaeda-linked militants in Pakistan and might have killed a senior leader of the terror group.

The officials declined to comment on specific plots in Europe or elsewhere but acknowledged drone strikes in Pakistan were meant to disrupt militant networks planning attacks.

Marshall added: "I am led to believe a number of these (drone) attacks were designed against the leadership of this particular plot, which had an al Qaeda and possibly some sort of Taliban connection projecting into Europe.

"And they have killed several of the leaders - which is why the terror threat has not risen."

The last time Britain raised its international terrorism threat level was in January. It went up to "severe" - the second highest level of alert in the five-tier system.

On September 16, head of MI5 Jonathan Evans said there remained "a serious risk of a lethal attack taking place".

In France on Tuesday, the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding Champ de Mars park were evacuated briefly because of a bomb alert. It was the fourth such alert in the Paris area in as many weeks.

French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said on September 20 that France faced a real terrorism threat due to a backlash from al Qaeda militants in North Africa. He said there were growing fears of an attack from home-grown terrorist cells within French borders.

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France Warned Of 'Very Real' Terror Threat
4:07pm UK, Wednesday September 22, 2010

Sarah Gordon, Sky News Online

The threat of a terror attack on French soil is at a "very real", senior figures have warned. The country has become a target of violent threats on Jihadi websites over its ban on the full-face Muslim veil - the niqab - and its overseas military operations.

Frederic Pechenard, director general of police and domestic intelligence services, said that security measures had been stepped up after evidence came to light that militants are planning an attack.

"I'm not here to frighten people," he told radio station Europe 1. "But we have serious evidence coming from reliable intelligence sources telling us that there is a risk of a major attack."

He said that Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb - the group that has claimed responsibility for the abduction of five French nationals and two Africans in northern Niger - is targeting France in particular.

Mr Pechenard warned the group was capable of targeted assassinations and mass attacks on the Metro or department stores using conventional explosives.

The national terror alert - which is already at "reinforced red" has not been raised [NB: Where do you go, from Reinforced Red? Super hyper Red?], but police are being "extremely vigilant", he added.

Moderate Muslim figures could also be targets and several have now been given armed guards.

Mr Pechenard's warning follows similar comments from other high-profile figures. French interior minister Brice Hortefeux has said the threat is real and judicial officials confirmed they were looking into reports that a female suicide bomber may be preparing to strike in Paris.

French authorities believe the Mali hostages are still alive and have mobilised their entire military, diplomatic and intelligence apparatus in West Africa to ensure their safe return.

An 80-strong military detachment equipped with spotter planes and intelligence gathering equipment has been deployed in a bid to track down the gang.

France has angered extremists due to its hard-line attitude towards the niqab and its involvement in the NATO mission in Afghanistan. It also led an armed raid in Mali in July to try and rescue kidnapped 78-year-old French aid worker Michel Germaneau. Although seven militants were killed, Mr Germaneau was not found and is now believed to be dead.

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Quote:

[NB: Where do you go, from Reinforced Red? Super hyper Red?],

Infra-red, perhaps? (Though that might attract unfortunate ironic remarks about it being invisible to the human eye.)

Quote:

"I'm not here to frighten people," he told radio station Europe 1.

Good job, because these days government terror alerts are about as frightening as snakes in a tin.

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