The Hindu : Europe on high terror threat alert

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 26, 2003

International

International

Europe on high terror threat alert

By Batuk Gathani

Brussels Dec. 25. As the U.S. raises the terror alert with a dire warning that risks of Al-Qaeda-led attacks are "perhaps greater now than at any point since September 11'', the European security establishments have stepped up security precautions at major airports, train routes and metropolitan areas.

The alert comes at the peak of the Christmas holiday season and is affecting millions of travellers at airports and cities.

A record 150,000 plus passengers are travelling by the "Euro Star'' Express train which links continental Europe with Britain under the sea.

The Euro Star security alert is maximum. Officials are especially on guard against a terrorist attack on passenger planes. France today cancelled six Air Franceflights to the U.S. following a U.S. warning of a `credible threat".

The E.U. countries are trying to co-ordinate law enforcement activities but have so far missed a self-imposed year-end deadline for the adoption of pan-European search and arrest warrants for terrorists.

This is rated as "a corner stone" legislation aimed at tightening judicial co-operation within the current 15 and future 25 member states. Only Britain, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have incorporated the warrant system.

Plans for the system date back to October 1999 when leaders agreed to replace divergent and lengthy inter-state extradition procedures. In the recent past, this allowed terrorists and criminals to play off one state against another.

In some cases, extradition of criminals and terrorists was even refused after years of legal wrangling by lawyers. Under the current proposals, an extradition could take place within 90 days after arrest.

The September 11, 2001 attacks gave pan-European arrest and extradition proposals a sense of urgency. The Italian Justice Minister argued that the proposals may violate the Italian constitution.

The Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi's assurance that Italy will soon adopt the procedures is greeted with scepticism what with his extensive business and media interests that could make him vulnerable to such pan-European judicial procedure. The other day, a German member of the European Parliament told Mr. Berlusconi that the delay was "not you doing your homework but of you completely failing". The six monthly rotating presidency of the European Union passes to Ireland from Italy on January 1, 2004 and according to European Commission officials, the legal procedures could be finalised by May 2004, when 10 more new members will join the European Union.

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