Chunnel Is Terror Target!
 

Today's Guardian carries a story about the Channel Tunnel being a terror target during the Christmas travel season.

Just think that the Chunnel, which now carries 8,000,000 a year - if it were to even be put out of operation for a lengthy time what chaos that would cause. Hopefully security has been beefed up and since the Chunnel (sic!) always seemed to be a prime target to me, security already is very tight.

The Guardian article begins (full text at www.guardian.co.uk

Channel Tunnel Is Terror Target


Jason Burke in Paris
Sunday December 24, 2006
The Observer

The Channel tunnel has been targeted by a group of Islamic militant terrorists aiming to cause maximum carnage during the holiday season, according to French and American secret services.

Bob - where you been? This has been on US TV for days. Sneaky SOBs are out there plotting and waiting for a chance to strike. Stay alert and strong in the face of evil!

Do you think we can talk them out of an attack?

"Do you think we can talk them out of an attack?"

Well, I for one hope so, as my husband is going through the tunnel right now. And one or both of us in the tunnel every week.

BTike: have you noticed any heightened security in place - perhaps we would not notice the extra security measures however. There was a picture in the Guardian showing personnel walking thru the Tunnel. suppose certain profiles will have increased security.

I plan to journey thru the Tunnel myself in coming weeks.

I am kinda surprised it took THIS long to figure out that tunnel might be a prime target.

Cato, do you think they can talk us out of leaving the Middle East?

Wow, I just posted a message about my daughter planning to ride Eurostar from Lille to London and back. She is planning to go on Jan.26, and I am worried!

OK - i'm planning to ride Eurostar about the same time and i am not worried at all. Because? now that plot has been exposed this will be the safest train to t ake in Europe i believe as element of surprise is gone. Rest assured and rather sorry i posted the news that, albeit i guess has been all over American TV for days.

PalB, short answer: no, not really. My husband drove through security this afternoon with nothing more than a cursory glance. Same thing when we came back from Belgium to the UK on the 24th. However, I suspect we are considered low risk--a middle aged Canadian/American couple with an English cocker spaniel in a late model Renault Laguna.
Although, one thing on our Christmas eve trip--my husband just got a new Canadian passport with the newly redesigned UK Right of Abode certificate pasted in. So both British and French security got their colleagues over to check it out, it was the first of that particular combo they'd seen. They weren't grilling us about it, just looking it over and trying to decide if the new RoA was "prettier" than the old one.

Given the amount of security added in the past few years in order to deal with the Daily Mail's Bete Noir - Illegal Islamist Asylum Seeking Gay Gypsies - I would think any decent Islamist group could find lots easier targets that would generate as much publicity & chaos.

If the Chunnel goes, the Daily Mail would probably applaud the terrorists (see above) and the backers of the Chunnel would breath a sigh of relief given the size of it's debts

Hi B,

>She is planning to go on Jan.26, and I am worried!<

Stop worrying. The threat, if there actually is one, will be over by then.

((I))

Ira,
Mothers worry any way...

What a load of nonsense. Can't anybody worry about real problems...

Logos, dear,
Did you forget July 7, 2005?

Keep in mind the amount of people killed in traffic, by lightning... If you're actually scared of a few "terrorists", well you'd better stay at home. Some day we'll all die, but none of us actually posting in this thread will be killed by a terrorist. Don't you feel relieved? :D

The whole Western world has become a terror target. No scoop.

Brazilnut with that attitude I'm surprised you even dare get out of bed in the morning as after all there may be a terrorist attack on any day of the year

And my advice to you about not worrying about Eurostar follows July 5, 2005 - after that i opined that i thought the London transports would thereon be ultra safe due to increased scrutiny - thank God the plot not long after on similar targets failed. Terrorists operate on weaknesses - the element of surprise and do not announce their real targets ahead of time.
I can appreciate your angst, as a parent, but common sense dictates otherwise in this case.

AlanRow,
Maybe in the US and Europe, but Not where I live!

PalBob
I am not worried to the point where I would not let her go (she is old enough to make her own decisions, anyway), but I keep on thinking that the Chunnel is an awful target, there is no way to get out fast if anything happens.

I remember July 7,2005, because I have stayed near (and even on) Tavistock Square, several times, and taken the underground in Russell Square. And I was in London a week before the underground attempt happened!

Yawn.