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French Intelligence Warns against Terror attack on the Channel Tunnel

The British weekly the Observer reported on a French intelligence report warning that terrorists intend to attack the Eurostar train that connects between France and England. The British Police Commissioner said that the level of communication between terrorist organizations has reached peak levels, that haven`t been reported since 2001. French and American intelligence agencies warned that Islamic extremists plan to attack the Chunnel Tunnel during the holidays. The plot was discovered by the French foreign intelligence agency, the DGSE, earlier this year. The Observer reported Sunday.

The report which was handed in December 19 indicates that the information was gathered by the CIA. British and French security forces have raised security levels in the 50 Km tunnel, but the would-be-terrorists haven`t been caught, and the security levels will remain at high alert throughout the holidays. The paper reported that the plot was planned and coordinated in Pakistan. French intelligence officials believe the attack itself is to be orchestrated by European nationals, who may or may not be British citizens of Pakistani origin.

The reports on the planned attack came in a time when the tunnel passenger traffic peaked due to the holidays and the fog that stopped airline traffic in much of England`s airports. Last year 8 million people used the Eurostar to cross the English Channel. The French intelligence report warned that al-Qaida planned a wave of attacks against a European nation by April 2007. The report mentioned that these attacks were being planned in Syria and Iraq. The British intelligence agency, the MI5, reported recently that there are currently 30 terror attacks being planed on British soil, adding that British intelligence agencies are currently surveying over 200 terrorist organizations of different sizes.