Hi everyone,
As most of you already know, the U.S. has heightened the threat level for tourists traveling to Europe; specifically to the U.K., France, and Germany. I wanted to make sure I let you all in on some of the facts.
Photo Courtesy of The New York Times
First, I should say, "don't freak out." The travel advisory isn't a formal travel warning. This means the State Department isn't telling Americans NOT to travel, but that they should be aware of recent threats to security.
"The precise details of the alleged plan remain unclear, and the information that is available in the public domain cannot be verified, rendering an assessment of its credibility difficult."
The attacks are supposed to resemble Mumbai attacks, which targeted high-profile tourism areas.
"Media reports quoting unnamed intelligence sources on 29 September referred to an alleged Islamist extremist plan to launch coordinated attacks in the UK, France and Germany. The purported plot, which has been linked to al-Qaida leaders based in tribal areas of Pakistan, reportedly calls for teams of gunmen to simultaneously strike targets in major cities and take hostages, in the manner of the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai (India). A German counterterrorism official indicated that much of the information was derived from the interrogation of Ahmed Sidiqi, a member of the militant Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) who was detained in Kabul (Afghanistan) in July."
We've been warned by Northwestern Study Abroad to avoid crowded tourist infrastructure, American 'icons' (like Hard Rock Café and Starbucks), and to be alert when using public transportation. An article from the Associated Press Sunday stated:
"The alert wasn't intended to urge travelers to stay away from public places. It fell short of a formal travel warning, which could have had broader implications including a stronger likelihood of canceled airline and hotel bookings and the suspension of many U.S. college and university study-abroad programs."
Apparently, the top concern is what implications this may have for Americans considering travel to Europe. Travel experts say that those who already have plans in place are not likely to change their plans, but more realistically it will be those who are still in the planning phases who may hold off on finalizing anything until the situation is made more clear.
Germany, France, and the U.K. have not changed their internal threat levels. According to an article in today's New York Times (online) France is taking intelligence information from the U.S. seriously- French officials arrested 12 people in the south of France today. The government may be taking the threats seriously, but the Associated Press article seemed to imply- from their interviews with Americans currently in Europe- that Americans aren't going to let themselves be scared into hiding.
"At Paris' spring-summer 2011 ready-to-wear fashion shows, W magazine fashion market director Karla Martinez said she gets 'worried for five minutes, but then I forget about it and get back to the job that I'm here to do.' [..] 'It's a little scary when you're staying in a big hotel with lots of tourists, because we hear that could be a target, but I try not to get too worked up about it,' she said. 'At the end of the day all you can do is keep your eyes and ears open and try not to be naive.'"
Three NBA teams are still going ahead with travels to the U.K. and Spain.
"Lakers center Pau Gasol said he had no intention of spending his time in London sitting in a hotel room. 'It's a great city to be out and walk around in, and experience things. It would be a crime to stay at the hotel,' Gasol said."
Most of us have been following the news and we are being careful not to put ourselves at extra risk. I've tried to design this post to accurately reflect the mood in Paris. I hope I helped to ease your mind or at least give you a few helpful hard facts.
Expect a post from me soon about my Lazy Sunday spent at the Bastille market and a new Parisian discovery!
P.S. I saw a picture online today of Keira Knightley at Paris Fashion Week- how can I be in the same city as all of these celebrities and not have seen any of them!? Sigh.
Love,
Hillary
Information in this post was gathered from the following sources:
Hillary,
ReplyDeleteWe are happy to know that NWU and students are taking the necessary precautions to avoid any potential problems. In today's world one never knows- so continue to stay safe and remember we luv ya much. How are your classes going and did you rsolve the bed bug issue?The"G" Parents