Head of French counterespionage agency says risk of terror attack in country ‘never so high’
By APSaturday, September 11, 2010
French spy agency chief says terror risk is high
PARIS — The head of France’s counterespionage agency says the risk of a terrorist attack on French soil has “never been higher” and that “objectively, there are reasons for worry.”
Bernard Squarcini says France’s history as a colonial master in North Africa, its military presence in Afghanistan and a proposal that would ban full-covering face veils in public make the country a prime target for certain radical Islamist groups.
Speaking in an interview with Saturday’s Journal du Dimanche newspaper, Squarcini says French authorities foil an average of two planned attacks per year, but “one day or another, we’re going to get hit.”
He says the risk now is as high as in 1995 before of deadly attacks on the Paris Metro by Algerian Islamic extremists.
