Posted on 09/06/2002 4:18:54 PM PDT by blam
Europeans Sound Terror Warnings
Friday September 6, 2002 10:50 PM
LONDON (AP) - Lone bombers and gunmen unconnected to the al-Qaida terrorist network could use the Sept. 11 anniversary as a world stage to launch an attack for their own causes, a British anti-terrorist chief said Friday.
David Veness, head of Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist squad, said there was no known threat to Britain, and encouraged people to carry on as usual. But he said mobile armed road blocks will be in place around London as a first point of defense on Sept. 11.
In France, a terrorism expert said Osama bin Laden's network could be preparing another major attack on a target in the United States or Europe as soon as the end of this year.
Veness warned that terrorists could be drawn to the anniversary Wednesday of the airborne attacks in New York and Washington because of the publicity it represents.
``We shouldn't underestimate these individuals,'' he said. ``An individual is not incapable of causing serious impact and that is something we are alert to. Our intention is to enhance the deterrent.''
``We shouldn't just think about the ghastly spectacular attacks that have already taken place, but also the range of possibilities that smaller groups and individuals may use,'' he said.
In Germany on Friday, a Turkish admirer of bin Laden and the man's American fiancee who worked for the U.S. military were arrested for allegedly planning an attack on a U.S. base on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackings, German authorities announced Friday.
In Paris, Roland Jacquard, director of the International Observatory on Terrorism and a consultant to the French government, estimated it would take a year to 16 months after the Sept. 11 attacks for al-Qaida to prepare for another operation.
``It's likely the organization will be ready to make an attack at the end of the year or the beginning of next year,'' said Jacquard.
Al-Qaida had countless terrorist plans at its disposal, he said.
In an interview, Jacquard said al-Qaida had plans for attacks using pesticide planes in the United States and a third wave of attacks against landmarks in Europe.
``They wanted also to plan some terrorist attacks with chemical arms and biological arms against even ... Notre Dame in Paris, and probably some other targets in London,'' he said, adding that other possible targets were in Strasbourg, in eastern France.
In London, Veness said security forces and police were better prepared to deal with any terror attacks than they were a year ago and his officers had received advice from police in other countries with more experience of suicide bombers.
``There is no doubt that the progress that has been made in counterterrorism over the last 11 months has been dramatic by any previous register,'' he said.
Veness said that while public attention was focused on international terrorism, police had not discounted the threat posed by Irish Republican dissidents.
That ought to do it, huh?
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