North by Northwestern

The Study Abroad Office warned Northwestern students in Europe to stay away from crowded tourist areas and places associated with the United States, such as Starbucks, McDonald’s and the Hard Rock Café. The warning was sent in an email Monday afternoon, one day after the U.S. Department of State issued a travel alert warning of increased potential for terrorist attacks in Europe.

The email from the Study Abroad Office also told students to be alert to their surroundings, report suspicious persons or packages, and to keep cell phones charged and with them at all times.

“We’re encouraging them to stay in touch with their program directors on site who know their cities very well, and can give them tips on places to avoid,” said Alicia Stanley, associate director of study abroad. “We want to make sure that they ensure their safety to the best of their ability by avoiding crowded tourist areas and typical American spots.”

A travel alert is less serious than a travel warning and does not discourage Americans from traveling to Europe. The Oct. 3 alert specifically mentions public transportation systems and tourist infrastructure as potential terrorist targets.

“Current information suggests that al-Qaeda and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks,” the alert said. “U.S. citizens should take every precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling.”

Matthew Cramer, a Weinberg sophomore who is studying in Italy, learned of the alert after returning from a weekend of traveling.

“Obviously, it was a bit startling to see this after just traveling without any notable precautions for three days,” Cramer said in an email. “It’s difficult to get news like this abroad…because I don’t have access to my cell phone.  If something were to happen while I was outside of my dorm, I likely wouldn’t find out about it until I returned, which is an alarming thought.”

Cramer has postponed planned trips to London and Paris at the request of his parents.

Other students are less concerned about the alert. Paris West, a Communication junior, said she doesn’t plan to take any extra safety measures while traveling.

“I always use precaution when taking pubic transportation,” West said. “Considering that I am in London, and the city has been dealing with terrorists attacks since the mid-20th century, I trust that they authorities know what they are doing.”

Details about what prompted the alert are unclear, but the State Department says the decision was based on the cumulative impact of intelligence gathered over the past several weeks.

Editor’s note: Paris West is also a contributor to North by Northwestern’s study abroad blogs.

IMPORTANT NOTICE to Northwestern University Study Abroad Students Currently Studying or Traveling in Europe!

As you may have read or heard from your program directors abroad, yesterday, on Sunday, October 3 the U.S. State Department issued a Travel Alert urging Americans traveling in and to Europe to be vigilant about possible terrorist attacks.

As opposed to a travel warning, a travel alert does not discourage Americans from visiting Europe or suggest that they return home. Nevertheless, you should take all appropriate precautions to ensure your safety during your studies abroad: avoid crowded tourist areas and American “icons”, such as McDonald’s, Starbucks, Hard Rock Cafés; be alert to your surroundings, in particular when using public transportation, in public markets, or in hotels and restaurants frequented by tourists; keep your cell phone charged and with you at all times; avoid suspicious persons and packages and report any suspicious behavior to the proper authorities.

These are indeed “interesting” times, so please take this alert seriously and take all reasonable precautions. We urge you all to review the Department of State Alert, which is available at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_europe.html, as well as the following International SOS report issued yesterday:

“Alleged plans for coordinated militant attacks in three countries indicative of underlying terrorism risk (Revised 3 Oct)
Media reports quoting unnamed intelligence sources on 29 September referred to an alleged Islamist extremist plan to launch coordinated attacks in the UK, France and Germany. The purported plot, which has been linked to al-Qaida leaders based in tribal areas of Pakistan, reportedly calls for teams of gunmen to simultaneously strike targets in major cities and take hostages, in the manner of the November 2008 attacks in Mumbai (India). A German counterterrorism official indicated that much of the information was derived from the interrogation of Ahmed Sidiqi, a member of the militant Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) who was detained in Kabul (Afghanistan) in July.

The US Department of State on 3 October issued a travel advisory reminding US citizens to be vigilant while travelling in Europe and to exercise caution in tourist areas. On the same day, the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) revised its travel advice for France and Germany, upgrading the threat of terrorist attacks in those countries from ‘general’ to ‘high’.

Comment and Analysis

The precise details of the alleged plan remain unclear, and the information that is available in the public domain cannot be verified, rendering an assessment of its credibility difficult. However, a recent increase in US drone missile attacks in North and South Waziristan (Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Pakistan) is believed to be linked to the warnings. While media reports have suggested that the alleged attacks were in the planning stages, no specific date for their execution has been identified. Consequently, the UK, France and Germany have not raised their security alert levels in response to the disclosures, though such action may be forthcoming should a more advanced extremist conspiracy be detected. The warnings highlight the underlying risk of terrorism in these countries, whose major cities represent attractive targets for transnational Islamist extremist networks; any attacks would likely focus on Western embassies, government buildings, transport hubs, high-profile tourist attractions and commercial interests. However, the capabilities of the security forces in these countries considerably mitigate the risks posed by terrorist activity.

The apparent plan to copy certain elements of the 2008 Mumbai attacks indicates that militants have switched their focus to assault-style tactics involving small groups of gunmen armed with readily available weapons. Intelligence reportedly provided by Sidiqi also suggests that the alleged plan to target the UK, France and Germany may involve militants in possession of Western passports, with Europeans among the potential attackers. Such commando-style methods have the advantage of enabling extremists to strike multiple targets in a manner that not only maximizes panic, media attention and, potentially, casualties, but also reduces the complications associated with the use of large explosive devices. The successful execution of large-scale bombings in major Western cities has become increasingly difficult in the years following the 11 September 2001 attacks in the US and the resultant heightening of security, and al-Qaida has urged its followers to focus on relatively less sophisticated operations to circumvent counter-terrorism efforts. However, while shooting attacks in Little Rock and Fort Hood (both US), in June and November 2009 respectively, appear to confirm this trend, weapons control and counter-terrorism surveillance efforts would make such operations harder to successfully execute in European cities.

The underlying terrorism risk to European countries emanates from the activities of militant groups in several parts of the world. The French authorities on 20 September revealed that the country was in a state of heightened alert following Algerian intelligence warnings of a possible terrorist attack on French soil, a concern fuelled by the recent parliamentary approval of a bill banning the wearing of full-face veils in public. Subsequently, the Eiffel Tower and the adjacent Champ de Mars park in the French capital Paris on 28 September were temporarily evacuated after a telephoned bomb threat was made against the tourist attractions. The incident was the latest in a series of bomb alerts in the city in recent days, which on separate occasions forced the evacuation of the Gare Saint-Lazare railway station and the St Michel metro (subway) station. No explosives were found following the alerts, though the authorities had earlier increased security at several sites due to intelligence warnings of potential attacks by members of the Algeria-based Islamist extremist group al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (QIM).

Travel Advice

* Travel to the UK, France and Germany can continue.

There is a credible threat of terrorist attack by Islamist militants in these countries. Western embassies, government buildings, transport hubs, high-profile tourist attractions and high-profile commercial interests are likely targets. Report any suspicious packages or suspect behavior to the authorities.”

William Anthony
Director, Study Abroad Office
Northwestern University