(Image Source: ThinkList)
BY VANESSA MANCAO
Flying to Europe soon? The U.S. State Department says: watch out.
The Obama Administration issued a travel alert on October 3rd for Americans in Europe to be cautious in high traffic tourist locations. This after new reports released of al Qaeda related terrorist attacks in major cities in France, Britain and Germany. (ABC)
Terrorist expert Alan Bell tells Canada-based CTV News he’s worried about his daughter, who’s visiting Paris.
“You have to be very careful because the attacks in Mumbai targeted specific targets with groups of armed men who basically took hostages and killed them before the security force could respond or could arrest or neutralize them before that happened. So, they will be looking for specific places where people are congregating, particularly foreign tourists from overseas to make a bigger impact if they attack these targets.”
New England Cable News wanted to find out if U.S. travelers planned to heed the advice of the government.-- here’s what it found.
“Jennifer, a mixed reaction from travelers here at Logan today. A lot of the travelers we spoke to say they didn’t even know about the warning until we told them and because they hear about these threats all the time many of them say they’re not concerned.”
Reporter: “Does it scare you?”
Barbara: “Um, a little bit yes. If you tell me it’s a real danger that can be, maybe.”
Ginitar: “We don’t care about it.”
Reporter: “It doesn’t worry you at all?”
Ginitar: “No, doesn't really.”
Lach: "Much just like this comes through everyday. So, kind of used to it.”
Lukretia: “Probably I check people that are around me. You know? And what they are doing...something like that.”
The report doesn’t urge Americans to stay in the U.S. It simply asks travelers to take more precautions. But a blogger from Anglotopia says the alert is turning easy-going travelers into worry-wart watchdogs .
“Frankly, I think this is ridiculous. There is no more danger for a terrorist attack than there ALWAYS is. We know the risks of traveling internationally. And it’s not even a warning NOT to travel to Europe – it’s just a general warning. Then why make it when it will scare people away?”
Because the U.S. alert failed to mention any specific details about potential threats, Former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton tells Fox News he isn’t sure if people will take the alert seriously.
“I’m struck that the State Department advisory is either too much or too little. If they can’t be more specific, then I really think it risks devaluing the very process by which these travel advisories are issued.”
The alert is only one step below a “warning” which could potentially lead people to cancel trips to Europe.
Britain upped the terror threat level for citizens traveling from Britain to Germany and France from “general” to “high” after the U.S. issued it’s alert.
Visit the link in our transcript section to see the alert for yourself.
