The latest US State Department travel alert about potential terrorist attacks in Europe is no help to travellers. It’s for law enforcement and to some extent, protection of governments.
“The alert is so vague as to be meaningless to those actually travelling. We are reminded of the potential for terrorist acts on public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure,” says McClatchy-Tribune News Service.
"Terrorists have targeted and attacked subway and rail systems, as well as aviation and maritime services," it says at www.travel.state.gov.
“What are travellers supposed to do, report anyone who looks like their definition of a terrorist?” asks the newspaper service.
A warning to be careful because someone might strike somewhere in Europe with something against somebody sometime is an indication that top officials are pretty darned alarmed — but they are not sharing exactly what or why, it continues.
The attack warnings could also backfire. The vague government alert — given with plenty of hints that law enforcement actually knows more than they are letting on — eliminates from terrorists the crucial element of surprise.
In the end, the US and other governments have covered themselves in case an attack happens.
“Certainly they have concluded that being a Nervous Nellie is better than if they’d said nothing, something bad happens, then people find out they had suspicions all along,” it says.
And if the government discourages people from traveling and damages the economy, it obviously means the terrorist have already won — simply by their threats.
By David Wilkening
