US will issue travel warning for Americans in Europe

[marriott0.01]

The US government is to issue a travel alert, warning its
citizens to be vigilant while travelling in Europe because of the threat of an
al-Qaeda commando-style attack.


US and UK officials have confirmed that updated guidance will be issued
because of the current terror threat.


A UK official said the travel advisory would not be country-specific.


It would also not go as far as advising against travel to Europe, the
official said.


The advisory will be issued in response to intelligence
on an al-Qaeda plan to assemble teams of gunmen and send them into crowded
places to kill western civilians, similar to the 2008 attacks in Mumbai.


Al-Qaeda planned to carry out co-ordinated attacks in cities in the UK,
France and Germany, intelligence sources said.


After intelligence details of the plot had been leaked to the US media last
week, officials said that the plan had not been stopped but that an attack was
not expected to be carried out imminently.


Officials said no arrests had yet been made, and that several individuals
were still under surveillance.


The suspects include British citizens of Pakistani and German citizens of
Afghan origin.


US officials said that the travel alert would be issued on Sunday.


Such a warning could have negative consequences for European tourism if
travellers fear that there is a risk of terror attacks and cancel their
journeys.


However, an alert is less serious than a travel warning.
Drone attacks

Earlier US counter-terrorism officials were reported to
have said that they believe al-Qaeda leaders, including Osama Bin Laden, were
also involved in the plot.


Recent US drone raids in Pakistan reportedly targeted al-Qaeda militants who
inspired the plans.


The US has carried out at least 25 drone strikes so far this month in
Pakistan's tribal areas - the highest monthly total for the past six years, US
media reported.


US officials have been pushing Pakistan to increase their search for the
militants, who are believed to be hiding in a mountainous border region in the
country.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11460335

Okay I'm ******** myself :|
I know it could be just scaremongering but this sure scares me :(

[Dean]

Just continue life as normal. You can't let something like a terrorist threat scare you.

Give in to terrorism and they've won.

[HotelUser]

Not very happy news. But what is happy is that the United States as well as many other nations of pride stand up and fight against terrorism.

Good on them :)

[xxMATTGxx]

If everyone starts worrying and getting scared of the travel warnings, security levels and so on then Dean is correct that they have won one of their main objectives. They want to make our lives hell and want us to not even be strong enough to step outside. As long as we still keep fighting against them and we still have the many Anti-Terrorism units and special forces and so on fighting an trying to find any plots and stop them before the attacks actually happen on US or British soil or anywhere else then we can carry on with our lives as normal, sadly terrorism will never go and will always be with us.

[marriott0.01]

If everyone starts worrying and getting scared of the travel warnings, security levels and so on then Dean is correct that they have won one of their main objectives. They want to make our lives hell and want us to not even be strong enough to step outside. As long as we still keep fighting against them and we still have the many Anti-Terrorism units and special forces and so on fighting an trying to find any plots and stop them before the attacks actually happen on US or British soil or anywhere else then we can carry on with our lives as normal, sadly terrorism will never go and will always be with us.

Well the UK Government says an attack on France/Germany/UK is imminent. So it's quite scary to people who are innocent in this war are going to be targeted. I still panic on the underground when I see a muslim with a backpack. I'm not trying to target the whole race, and I have no problem with the race, and I'm not saying that they're all terrorists. I'm just saying that it's the general stereotype that a terrorist will be of Islamic Middle Eastern Descent. So when I see them with a backpack I panic, and I understand that not everyone's a terrorist but I don't know who is so it's just an assumption and panicking. I don't like living in fear that my life will end, but I can't get on with life when the UK government admits itself that an attack is "imminent"

[xxMATTGxx]

Well the UK Government says an attack on France/Germany/UK is imminent. So it's quite scary to people who are innocent in this war are going to be targeted. I still panic on the underground when I see a muslim with a backpack. I'm not trying to target the whole race, and I have no problem with the race, and I'm not saying that they're all terrorists. I'm just saying that it's the general stereotype that a terrorist will be of Islamic Middle Eastern Descent. So when I see them with a backpack I panic, and I understand that not everyone's a terrorist but I don't know who is so it's just an assumption and panicking. I don't like living in fear that my life will end, but I can't get on with life when the UK government admits itself that an attack is "imminent"

I can see where you are coming from but an attack on the United Kingdom has been like that or other levels throughout the past few years really, it comes up every so often when they have probably earned about new plots and need to alert the general public which is what the USA are doing with a travel issue for any Americans and so on. We do need to be suspicious of our surroundings and if anyone does look like they are going to blow the place up and so on, then it does need people to phone in and report it so anything like that can be looked at and dealt with.

[marriott0.01]

I can see where you are coming from but an attack on the United Kingdom has been like that or other levels throughout the past few years really, it comes up every so often when they have probably earned about new plots and need to alert the general public which is what the USA are doing with a travel issue for any Americans and so on. We do need to be suspicious of our surroundings and if anyone does look like they are going to blow the place up and so on, then it does need people to phone in and report it so anything like that can be looked at and dealt with.

However in the article it mentions a "commando style" attack which means that they could go into a school and obviously take children hostage with bombs etc.. Which is slightly more worrying for others rather than myself. But this style of attack has happened in other countries, and it's not like our school's have the best security, so this kind of attack would be very serious.

[xxMATTGxx]

However in the article it mentions a "commando style" attack which means that they could go into a school and obviously take children hostage with bombs etc.. Which is slightly more worrying for others rather than myself. But this style of attack has happened in other countries, and it's not like our school's have the best security, so this kind of attack would be very serious.

That sort of attack yes, we don't really have major security or police protection at education sites anyway. I know that we have a few security guards at my college but that won't really stop a full on attack on a school etc. But if one of these attacks do happen, then we obviously to jump up our security throughout.

[marriott0.01]

That sort of attack yes, we don't really have major security or police protection at education sites anyway. I know that we have a few security guards at my college but that won't really stop a full on attack on a school etc. But if one of these attacks do happen, then we obviously to jump up our security throughout.

It's worrying that you say "if one of these attacks do happen" then after "we obviously jump up our security". We need to take precautions now, but as you say it's really unrealistic to do that every school in the UK. Although some school's do have good security systems which includes electronic gates closed all day. With CCTV looking at every inch of gate. Internal locking systems etc... This means that it slows down the "commando" team and alerts the police so they can mobilise before anyone gets hurt.

[xxMATTGxx]

It's worrying that you say "if one of these attacks do happen" then after "we obviously jump up our security". We need to take precautions now, but as you say it's really unrealistic to do that every school in the UK. Although some school's do have good security systems which includes electronic gates closed all day. With CCTV looking at every inch of gate. Internal locking systems etc... This means that it slows down the "commando" team and alerts the police so they can mobilise before anyone gets hurt.

Because it is some what impossible or unrealistic to go round and protecting any education site and any major place where a terrorist may cause an attack on. We would need to know their plans, where they are going to target and up the security at these places. Which if you go to any major airport you would normally see Armed Officers or do you remember the time there was tanks outside Heathrow or somewhere similar? Forgot the reason for that but yeah. It would also cause too much worry for people and the parents may just keep their children at home missing out on their education due to the worry that an attack is going to happen and there a large amount of security/Police around the school.

[marriott0.01]

Because it is some what impossible or unrealistic to go round and protecting any education site and any major place where a terrorist may cause an attack on. We would need to know their plans, where they are going to target and up the security at these places. Which if you go to any major airport you would normally see Armed Officers or do you remember the time there was tanks outside Heathrow or somewhere similar? Forgot the reason for that but yeah. It would also cause too much worry for people and the parents may just keep their children at home missing out on their education due to the worry that an attack is going to happen and there a large amount of security/Police around the school.

I'd love to see one tank per school tbh lol. But on a serious note it doesn't have to be manpower protecting our school's technology has come a long way to be subtle protection. High-tech school's seem better protected than older school's. So if they were going to attack a school the low-tech school's will be the best school's to attack. Although they could attack absolutely anywhere in that fashion. Places of Work/Learning/Healing/Travelling/Living. Let's just say I'm going to start building my underground bunker now. Won't get me in there >.<

[xxMATTGxx]

I'd love to see one tank per school tbh lol. But on a serious note it doesn't have to be manpower protecting our school's technology has come a long way to be subtle protection. High-tech school's seem better protected than older school's. So if they were going to attack a school the low-tech school's will be the best school's to attack. Although they could attack absolutely anywhere in that fashion. Places of Work/Learning/Healing/Travelling/Living. Let's just say I'm going to start building my underground bunker now. Won't get me in there >.<

Haha, but will these bother putting these systems in? Never mind the cost of the systems. It's a hard one to judge really because you have to make sure the staff and the students are secure and safe but then there is the cost of these systems, maybe it's because we have never had such attacks before and we are basically not prepared for them.

Heres a photo of you:

http://cache1.asset-cache.net/xc/1775575.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=77BFBA49EF878921F7C3FC3F69D929FD8652FE596329174D A6D092038B777273EDFDA68E1693DE6FE30A760B0D811297

Back in 2003!

[marriott0.01]

Scrap school's for the future and upgrade the school's of the present with high-tech security. Also I was reading a comment on the BBC News website who actually says Paris' streets are safer at night as there is military presence on the streets and police with guns on the streets than it is the UK Streets which suffers the worst crime rate in Europe tbh. So if we can't even keep our own citizens in check with their knives and guns. Then how da **** are we going to defeat some trained commando squad :l

In my opinion we need a few of these flying around every few secs. I'd feel safe.

http://aviationfans.com/images/a-10-19990422-f-7910d-518.jpg

[SarahVictoriaaa]

Whats going on these days with all these bombings? Its madness obvs :S x

[myke]

im not leaving my house

owait i dont anyway :l


LOL ANYWAY

hmm idk what to think of it really.

waits for the outrage from the muslim community round near me when people start suspecting things

[dbgtz]

I'd love to see one tank per school tbh lol. But on a serious note it doesn't have to be manpower protecting our school's technology has come a long way to be subtle protection. High-tech school's seem better protected than older school's. So if they were going to attack a school the low-tech school's will be the best school's to attack. Although they could attack absolutely anywhere in that fashion. Places of Work/Learning/Healing/Travelling/Living. Let's just say I'm going to start building my underground bunker now. Won't get me in there >.<

I shouldn't be too worried. Shall I remind you (or perhaps tell you) of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p4DmuGyehc

unless they attack a plane, then that's a different situation.

[myke]

I shouldn't be too worried. Shall I remind you (or perhaps tell you) of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p4DmuGyehc

unless they attack a plane, then that's a different situation.

That's actually quite an emotional video :o ... it really made me think about how the people felt and what was going through their heads!

---------- Post added 03-10-2010 at 11:00 AM ----------


I shouldn't be too worried. Shall I remind you (or perhaps tell you) of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p4DmuGyehc

unless they attack a plane, then that's a different situation.

That's actually quite an emotional video :o ... it really made me think about how the people felt and what was going through their heads!

[alexxxxx]

if you are being terrorised you are letting the terrorists win. and the french have this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Gendarmerie which is sort of a police force run by the military

[-:Undertaker:-]

This is absolute nonsense as per usual and is nothing but scare-mongering from our governments who have only made a threat worse than it was (because the threat of terrorism will always be there regardless of what you do). The US government has done it on its own soil time and time again in order to take away civil liberties in the name of security and instill fear in all of you so you trust your government. The US Patriot Bill was an example of this and we've seen in this country how we can now hold 'terrorist suspects' (cannot even be defined) for longer than they hold suspects in Zimbabwe.

The Americans are told by their government that in order for them to be safe their government needs to have the right to tap their phone lines/monitor their convesations. The British and Europeans are told that in order to tackle crime properly they need to be subject to being carted off to another European nation without consent from their home nation. We British are told that in order to be safe we need to have more CCTV than Police-state China. We British are told that counter terrorism laws are to protect us, yet our councils openly use them to find out whether parents are fixing the schools-system for their children.

The list goes on and on; the best thing government could do to protect us is to get out of our lives, hand back civil liberties and end the ridiculous wars + military bases in the Middle East. Anybody familiar with 1984? - we are on the verge of living it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q9WzCrLuC4&feature=related

[GommeInc]

Seems like typical scare mongering to me. I heard this on the radio and couldn't believe what I heard and immediately though "Eh?" and switched over to Radio 1 :P It's pretty unrealistic of the US to suggest th whole of Europe is going to explode in a vibrant array of colour, from Al-Qaeda. Heck, I forgot they even existed. It is afterall the favourite word over there at the moment, "Al-Qaeda" :/

[cocaine]

It's worrying that you say "if one of these attacks do happen" then after "we obviously jump up our security". We need to take precautions now, but as you say it's really unrealistic to do that every school in the UK. Although some school's do have good security systems which includes electronic gates closed all day. With CCTV looking at every inch of gate. Internal locking systems etc... This means that it slows down the "commando" team and alerts the police so they can mobilise before anyone gets hurt.

wait what my school has none of that

[Gibs960]

I hate going on planes because of terrorism :( I get scared especially when there is someone who's from Asia (no offence if you're from Asia).

[marriott0.01]

I don't know how people can call it racist if you get paranoid around a muslim with a backpack. Al Quaeda are of Middle Eastern descent, I have no idea who the terrorist is going to be, it could be anyone. That's why I get paranoid. I'm not racist just paranoid :l

[marriott0.01]

UPDATE. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11462595


The Foreign Office has updated its travel advice for Europe, warning of a "high threat" of attacks in countries including France and Germany.

Previously it had advised only of a "general threat" but an FCO spokeswoman said the safety of Britons abroad was of major concern.

The US has also advised vigilance in Europe because of the threat of an unspecific al-Qaeda attack.

The UK's threat level, as set by the Home Office, remains severe.

The FCO spokeswoman said: "Like other large European countries, [France and Germany] have a high threat of terrorism, which is reflected in our updated travel advice.

"We therefore attach great importance to providing information about personal safety and security overseas to enable people to make informed decisions about travel."

'Indiscriminate attacks'
On its website, the FCO said: "Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers."

The new level is the highest the FCO records and is based on information from a variety of sources including the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, security and intelligence agencies, diplomatic and media reports, local knowledge and embassy reports.

In the UK the highest level that can be reached is critical - when an attack is expected imminently. The current threat level indicates an attack is "highly likely".

Security sources have warned of an al-Qaeda plan to send teams of gunmen to crowded places to kill civilians.

They said cities in the UK, France and Germany were thought to be targets for the militants, in attacks analysts feared could be similar to the 2008 atrocities in Mumbai.

Responding to the US warning, which referred to the whole of Europe, including the UK, Home Secretary Theresa May said: "The first and most important duty of this government is the protection and security of the British people and visitors to the UK."

In a statement issued on her behalf, Ms May said: "As we have consistently made clear, we face a real and serious threat from terrorism. Our threat level remains at "severe" - meaning that an attack is highly likely.

"We work closely with our international partners in countering terrorism and the US advice is consistent with our assessment.

"I would urge the public to report any suspicious activity to the police in support of the efforts of our security services to discover, track and disrupt terrorist activity."

Foreign Secretary William Hague said the updated travel guidance from the US "reinforces the need for vigilance".

"We can't comment on the specifics but the need for vigilance is very strong," he said.

The US state department advised Americans to take care while in tourist areas.

The department did not specify a country, issuing the updated guidance for the whole of Europe.

A White House spokesman said: "From the day we became aware of this latest plot, the president made clear we need to do everything possible to disrupt this plot and protect the American people. Whether the State Department issues a travel alert is the decision of the State Department but this alert is responsive to the President's direction that we spare no effort."


Yay we've got our own warning now. Time to get in my shelter!!! <3