http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=124239&version=1&template_id=57&parent_id=56
Channel Tunnel facing 'sky high' terror threat Published: Monday, 25 December, 2006, 09:44 AM Doha Time LONDON: The Channel Tunnel is under threat of attack from militants over the Christmas holiday period, British weekly newspaper The Observer said yesterday, citing French and US security services. The alleged plot came to the attention of the French overseas intelligence service the DGSE, possibly via the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and was detailed in a secret December 19 report to the Paris government. French and British intelligence services have since run checks of security systems protecting the 50km tunnel but the DGSE warned that the threat level remains high, the newspaper said. Even before the alleged threat, British security services were on the second-highest alert - 'severe' --- following what police said was an attempt by militants to blow up transatlantic passenger jets in August. 'Severe' indicates that a terrorist attack is 'highly likely', according to the posting on the website of Britain's domestic security service MI5. Unnamed US security sources told The Observer they assessed the threat to be 'sky high'. It quoted separate unnamed French sources as saying the alleged tunnel plot was put together in Pakistan and was being directed from there. Those involved were said to be western European, possibly Britons of Pakistani origin, and the 'chatter' between militants had "not been so high since 2001", it added. Last Friday, the head of London's Metropolitan Police Sir Ian Blair said the danger from extremists inspired by Al Qaeda posed the gravest threat to Britain since World War II or from Irish Republican paramilitaries. Although there was "no specific intelligence" about an imminent attack, the threat was "ever present", Britain's most senior police officer said in an interview with BBC radio. Blair, his head of counter-terrorism, Peter Clarke, and the director-general of MI5, Eliza Manningham-Buller, have all expressed concern about the links between Britons of Pakistani descent and extremism. The Observer said the DGSE report also mentioned an Al Qaeda plan for a "wave of attacks in an unidentified European country". It said September 2006 to April 2007 was the highest period of risk. The report comes as increased numbers of passengers have been using the Channel Tunnel rail link between London, Paris and Brussels, after dense, freezing fog that shut many airports in southern England and Wales. -- AFP +++ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. OSINT, as a part of The Intelligence Network, is making it available without profit to OSINT YahooGroups members who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the understanding of intelligence and law enforcement organizations, their activities, methods, techniques, human rights, civil liberties, social justice and other intelligence related issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/osint/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
