French intelligence officials have reported they are prepared for an imminent 9/11 style attack by radicalized terrorists. The new threat alert has caused panic in a country that’s still recovering from a foiled attempt to massacre dozens of people on a Paris bound train on Friday.
After frequent attacks in the country this year, France’s military and intelligence agencies reported Thursday that they are on alert for a 9/11 style terrorist attack aiming for mammoth fatalities.
Reports from the newspaper Le Canard Enchaine indicated there was widespread worry over “an upcoming 11 September à la Française where intelligence services are mere spectators.”
Authorities believe the latest attack will involve a passenger airline targeted by an anti-tank missile. According to the reports, airlines have been warned of an imminent attack but pilots do not know what precautions to take.
A majority of the drug infested suburbs in France are located near the main Paris airport of Roissy, raising alarm over the possible launching of a surface to air missile from one of the buildings.
The army has made attempts to win back control of these suburbs from what French officials call “a lot of alienated and angry fourth-generation immigrant kids.” With these groups of abandoned youth, “The prospect of radicalization is increasingly likely,” said the authorities.
Further complicating matters is the ease in which weapons smuggled from Libya are finding their way into Paris. Kalasnikov automatic rifles and anti-tank missiles could be easily accessed by radicals in France, according to local newspaper reports.
Combining the presence of radicalized youth and the ease of accessing crude military weapons and what emerges is a potent threat to the peace and stability of France.
The fresh alert comes barely days after a Moroccan gunman, Ayoub El-Khazzani, attempted to open fire on innocent civilians on a train bound to Paris from Amsterdam. Fortunately, Ayoub was overpowered by three Americans and a British businessman.
It later emerged that the gunman was carrying 270 rounds of ammunition and a full bottle of gasoline. He has since been arrested and arraigned in court.
France has seen itself increasingly become subject to numerous threats of terror in recent months. A new threat of such a magnitude as the 9/11 attack would completely shatter the country’s economy, society and security apparatus. Authorities remain on high alert, conscious of the consequences of a successful mass casualty attack.
Stay Connected
