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France takes threat seriously: Minister

PARIS, MARCH 17. Intelligence specialists who studied a letter threatening terror attacks against France say it does not bear the hallmarks of messages typically sent by radical Islamic groups, said the Interior Minister on Wednesday.

The group behind the letter identified itself as the ``Servants of Allah the Powerful and Wise'' and said that France's law to ban Muslim headscarves in public schools made the country an enemy of Islam.

The organisation was unknown to French authorities, who said they were nonetheless taking the threat seriously.

``The specialised services believe that the phrasing (in the letter) does not correspond to the rhythm typically used by extremists in these kinds of messages,'' the Interior Minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.

``That does not mean we should not take it into account,'' he said in a separate interview with RTL radio. ``Our duty is to study and evaluate.''

``A heavy offensive will take place on the grounds of the allies of Satan, and we are going to plunge France into terror and remorse,'' the letter said, according to Le Parisien newspaper, which received a copy.

The message, which threatened France and its overseas interests, was signed by a ``Commando Mosvar Barayev,'' the Ministry said.

It was a possible reference to the Chechen rebel believed to have led the deadly hostage-taking raid on a Moscow theatre in October 2002.

AP

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