Islamic terror has struck Brussels, Paris, San Bernardino, California, and Orlando, Florida in rapid succession in the past year. And the worst may be yet to come.
European authorities are saying that they know more terrorists are already on their way.
Police and anti-terrorism investigators in France have been alerted to the possibility that small cells of extremists have left Syria and are “en route” for France and Belgium with plans to stage more attacks.
Belgian intelligence services sent a note to French counterparts about the possible groups, and it was sent to police across France on Tuesday, a French security official said Wednesday.
French authorities remain “very cautious” about the information because they receive such notes routinely, the official said.
The official said the information does not change the French government’s overall understanding of the threat. France is already under high alert because Islamic State extremists targeted Paris last year and have threatened violence during the European Championship soccer tournament taking place at the moment.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to be able to discuss sensitive security information, had no information about specific targets or how many extremists could be en route.
Belgium’s Derniere Heure tabloid reported Wednesday that Belgium’s anti-terror office has warned police that fighters with access to weapons could have left Syria about 10 days ago bound for Belgium and France. It was the latest of several recent reports that fighters from Syria could pose an imminent threat.
The paper, which said it had obtained an alert message, said fighters traveling without passports were believed to be trying to reach Europe by boat via Turkey and Greece. A Brussels shopping mall, an American fast-food chain and police could be among their targets.
Belgium’s security threat analysis center said Wednesday it is keeping the country’s security alert status at its current level.
“We are still on level three, quite a high level of threat,” said Benoit Ramacker, spokesman for the Crisis Center. Level three out of a possible four means the threat is considered serious, possible and probable.
Ramacker said, “these kinds of potential targets are under protection anyway” and that “nothing has changed in terms of security.”
He declined to comment specifically on the reports, saying only that “there is a lot of information coming in.”
Belgium has been on level three or above since November, in the wake of the massacres in Paris that killed 130 people, with extra police and military mobilized.
It’s not the first report that fighters might have been dispatched to Europe since the March 22 suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway that killed 32. On April 19, Crisis Center chief Paul Van Tigchelt said there were signals from Islamic State that fighters were sent to Europe, including Belgium.
The French official said it is unclear whether the Belgian note could have any link to an attack Monday night by an Islamic State extremist who killed two French police officials.
The brutal murder in a Paris suburb revived French concerns about the ISIS threat. France’s president and prime minister warned on Wednesday that the world faces a long war to defeat terrorism.
“I said we were at war, that this war will take a generation, that it will be long,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on France Inter radio.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
The Orlando shooter was on the FBI’S watch list twice they should have at least notified ATF to report any applications for firearms to them (FBI) and at that point it would have raised a red flag and the investigation would
have been reopened
Yeah, and he should never have been able to pass the so-called ‘background check’ to buy an assault rifle.
I just read a poll where over 53% of Americans (at least Americans responding to this poll) are in favor of a Federal ban on ‘assault’ rifles. America is close to a tipping point of giving away most of the power of the 2nd Amendment. And this may be the ultimate goal of those instigating many of these attacks. Dangerous times are coming. The preppers that buried ammunition in grease packed barrels were ahead of this curve.
The liar in chief yesterday at his press conference was more angry at Trump for telling the truth than with the haters.
Israel’s intelligence is just that INTELLIGENCE’…I’m not sure what you would call the U.S.’s but insanity…
We should be strengthening our boarders, and a NO FLY ZONE should have been set up in Syria or Iraq. NO Muslims should have been brought into any Country specially the USA. Our Muslim Obama knew what he was doing when putting us all at risk. Now Obama wants to place ISIS right inside our Military camps. How stupid that our Congress is allowing this all to happen. It will get worse then what? Marshall Law, and then we are all done for. Muslim Obamas great plan for us.
yup exactly … and he joked at the correspondence dinner that it was the last dinner ever & the end of the Republic was coming along nicely . Pretty ,such tells us what is in store .
I believe the next “time” will be over our “4th of July” celebrating.
These attacks will come more frequently in America. Due to a bunch of liberal democrats occupying our government!
If France is at such a high level of security, why isn’t America? Do the ‘powers that be’ want another attack? Do they care if Americans die? Why are they refusing to honor their “Oath of Office”? Do they even remember or understand the “Oath” they took is mandated by the Constitution? Do they even remember the “Oath”?
Because they don’t CARE!!!
Ann-
Here’s why they don’t care, imo.
First, do you believe that judges have the right and duty to arrest those litigants and witnesses they catch lying in court? Why is that, do you think?
Those who swear oaths of office should be as routinely arrested, tried, and convicted as are perjurers, and for the same exact reason: lying under oath.
Because they have NOT, they have grown increasingly-bold in their defiance of the Constitution and their oaths of office.
This sorry situation needs a 180, and damn quick. Officeholders need to FEAR being arrested and tried for violating their oaths. Until they do, they will continue to ride roughshod over Americans, trampling our God-given Rights in the dust.
i believe it was Thomas Jefferson who put it best: “When the People fear the government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the People, there is Liberty.”
Until officeholders FEAR us, we’ll remain their slaves.
Just a quick addition. The 10 Commandments forbid bearing false witness. This is not a teenie whit lie. To testify in a Hebrew court one had to have status in the tribe. And this witness’ statement could cost a man and his family their lives or their freedom. Often slavery was allowed to settle damages. So false witness was serious. And a proven liar could then be put to death. We don’t have proper respect for oaths and the truth in our society today. And it’s ruining us.
It’s time to lock and load it seems to me that we are all alone we the Americans need to be on a look out pertect our families god bless America .
if you love America, you need to secure our borders and limit “Muslem” coming in USA
One of the things that concerns me most is the, like so many other things, fact that poor people can’t even afford a gun, let alone the ammo needed. Only people with money can build shelters, stockpile food and water and totally prepare for the take down of our horribly corrupt government.
Time for an EUA: EU Army to combat terrorisim from all allied nations to EU.
This force is combined Multi national force from UK, Germany, France, Belguim, Italy, Poland,
Spain, Portugal to combat terrorisim worldwide.
The EU are planning to allow Turkey as a member, The Turks would have by far the biggest army in Europe, any European Defence Force would comprise mostly muslim Turks, no doubt they would be fast tracked into positions of power by the socialist Eurocrats. Would you trust a Turkey led by Erdogan who has already talked of Vienna falling ?
An EU army led by muslim Turkey is ISIS dreams fulfilled.