A Packet of Fear for Christmas: Channel Tunnel Threat 'Far Graver' Than WWII

Jason Burke, writing for The Observer, has all the scary details.

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.

The plan, which the French DGSE foreign intelligence service became aware of earlier this year, is revealed in a secret report to the French government on threat levels. The report, dated December 19, indicates that the tip-off came from the American CIA.

Remember this.

British and French intelligence agencies have run a series of checks of the security system protecting the 31-mile tunnel but the threat level, the DGSE warns, remains high. British security services remain on high alert throughout the holiday period.

According to the French sources, the plan was put together in Pakistan and is being directed from there.

Remember this, too.

The plotters are believed to be Western Europeans, possibly Britons of Pakistani descent. The DGSE say that levels of 'chatter', the constant communication that takes place between militants, has not been so high since 2001. Last week Sir Ian Blair, the head of the Metropolitan Police, described 'the threat of another terrorist attempt' as 'ever present' adding that 'Christmas is a period when that might happen'.

Of course it is. The threat of another terrorist attempt is always and we must always and everywhere remember this.

It is a far graver threat in terms of civilians than either the Cold War or the Second World War,' he said.

Right. It's a far graver threat than the Second World War.

It's an enormous horrible exceedingly vile terrible awfil threat, this threat to the Channel tunnel; far graver than a worldwide conflict which took the lives of 80 million people, left whole cities in ruins, created hundreds of millions of refugees, and so on, and on and on ... this is far graver than that? Sure it is, sure it is.

Ian Blair has the same disease as all the rest of them. They don't think we can tell when they're exaggerating.

'It's a much graver threat than that posed by Irish Republican terrorism.'

Sure it is. By the way, Ian, can you recall a single IRA blast that was not directly related to British "security" forces?

Didn't think so. Carry on, sir.

American security sources told The Observer that the threat was 'sky high'.

Sky high, indeed. To infinity, and beyond!

Well at least they're not running pan-European war-games and multiple simultaneous Channel tunnel security drills.

Be very afraid.
Be very very very very afraid.
Now enjoy your holidays.
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