Eiffel Tower, Paris May Be Terror Target

January 11, 2008

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The Eiffel Tower and Paris may be terror targets according to French authorities who are on the alert after a message threatening the attacks was intercepted.

Newspaper reports say Portuguese aviation authorities alerted French counterterrorism officials immediately after hearing the threat.

The message - intercepted on Thursday - threatened attacks against targets in Paris including the famous Eiffel Tower.

French daily Le Monde says the communication by short-wave radio was “vague and confused.”

Portuguese officials quickly alerted French authorities, the paper said, citing unidentified police officials.

French counterterrorism officials were trying to identify the suspects behind the message, the report said.

A counterterrorism official told The Associated Press the threat was not precise and appeared to be exaggerated, but could not be dismissed entirely.

Police and air traffic controllers in Portugal declined to comment.

The newspaper report said French authorities have noticed increasing chatter in cyberspace in recent days about possible terrorist attacks on France.

Daily Le Figaro reported Friday that the Interior and Justice Ministries are taking seriously threats on website al-Ekhlass, commonly used by Islamic militants to post messages.

On Wednesday, French prosecutors said they were investigating a cryptic e-mail delivered to an Islamic website urging attacks on Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe and the city’s tourist sites, judicial officials said. The sender and the site were not identified.

Last week, organizers of the France-based Dakar Rally vehicle race from Europe to Senegal cancelled the event for the first time in its 30-year history, citing threats from al-Qaida-linked militants against its participants.

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