French official: Terror threat to Europe on rise

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
The risk of terror attacks in Europe is high and is "constantly increasing," France's leading anti-terrorism judge said, and warned that a recent alliance between al-Qaida and a North African terrorist group, known by its French initials GSPC, poses a particularly grave threat. "The GSPC wants to carry out attacks in Europe, especially in France, Italy and Spain, and destabilize North Africa," Jean-Louis Bruguiere told the Associated Press on Tuesday night in New York. The Salafist Group for Call and Combat, or GSPC, staged seven nearly simultaneous attacks in Algeria on Tuesday, targeting police in several towns east of Algiers, killing six and injuring around 30, according to officials, police and hospital staff. The increased threat level is linked to the US-led war on Iraq, Bruguiere said.