The weekend terrorist alerts issued for Europe are the most extensive and serious in history. What should we do? Personally, nothing.
The best intelligence suggests a coordinated terrorist attack is currently playing itself out, right now. The media is reporting that the plans include something akin to the 2008 Mumbai slaughter where pretty good suicide gunmen fanned out across a city center shooting madly, throwing incendiary bombs.
It’s a race between implementation and prevention. But it’s not easy anywhere in Europe, any more, to pack a weapon and go into a populated area. It’s not even easy to get a weapon, or ammunition… as it is in the U.S.
Alerting travelers and residents alike, there will be more eyes and ears to report unsavory activity. It will increase the chances that nothing will happen.
But shouldn’t I advise you to “just wait a while?” Let things cool down? Sure I could, and so could the terrorists wait a while. (Or following a dreaded success, they could claim another is imminent.)
Don’t exaggerate our own government’s announcement. It’s an alert, not a warning. Were it a warning, I might argue differently.
The risk of being hurt by terrorists in Europe, now, is worth the risk of any travel you have arranged. It’s time for the frequent reminder of the threats you and your children face crossing busy city streets, driving on an interstate, or injuring yourself while playing sports.
All of these are greater than you being hurt soon by terrorists in Europe. God forbid, even if it happens, as car wrecks happen every minute. There’s not the slightest indication, for example, that the target relates to travel or airports, any more than it does to pubs or hotels or hospitals or malls. All that we might surmise is that it is planned for areas with lots of people.
The counter I often hear is that crossing the street, driving, working out, are all essential to your daily lives, but that vacation travel isn’t.
We can just stay home, the argument goes. We don’t have to travel.
For those of us fortunate to have the means to travel, we probably also have nice homes and comfortable life styles that to many may now seem a safer alternative. Five hundred cable channels and sixty types of potatoes chips with three nearby pizza delivery services. And as soon as we nuke all the deer in our city parks, we won’t have to worry about tick fever, either.
It’s precisely because Americans have so insulated themselves from the outside world that we started the wars in my life time that I believe have led to the current level of terrorism. We’ve painted ourselves into a corner, and it’s a very tiny, self-contained corner.
About a third of all American travel is to Europe. Nearly a third of that is by Americans who will never travel anywhere else except on a cruise.
Please, enjoy Europe, now. A life in a box isn’t worth living.
Jim, we just got back from Europe and I suspect the places we went to (Munich, Berlin, Dresden) are safer than parts or all of Chicago. The threat level there can’t be worse than the threat level here, whatever the current color is. If there is an attack somewhere in Europe, being hit would be totally random and no more likely than getting hit here. I suppose they have to issue warnings because if there were an attack and they knew something but did not make an announcement, there would be recrimination. But, unfortunately, the fear mongering in the “home of the brave” continues though I thought it would stop with the new administration.
Hi Jim…
My wife and I are in France, mid-way through a 2 week stay. We are unaware of any issues.
Ron Taylor
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Hi Jim,
I really like this post – since I’m currently living in the UK, it does feel strange to have the US issuing an alert like this. And I will admit that I do find it scary…I guess that’s what terrorism is all about. I think that major plots to kill people are more scary than the more likely day-to-day dangers which are less avoidable than travel (e.g., crossing the street), but I think it’s really important not to lose perspective of how unlikely any of us are to end up in the middle of a terror attack. And how important it is to get out and see other parts of the world and to enjoy life (I’m guessing travel is one of the best parts of life for lots of people who read this).
It’s interesting being in the UK right now because the terror threat is not one of the top stories on the BBC website and I haven’t seen it on the TV BBC headline news today – in fact I had to search for a long time to find anything about it on the website earlier today and then gave up and went to CNN. In addition, people here don’t seem concerned. I’m the only person talking about it!
I guess it’s a bit different for me living in the UK rather than traveling, as being here isn’t really an option…but I agree with what you’ve said and I’ll look forward to reading tomorrow’s post.
~Emily~
I’m with you,Jim. I’m in Istanbul now enjoying a great dinner with call to prayer echoing in the background. No worries.
Sent from my iPhone
Colleen Pero
I love this post and agree with all the comments. While I am living in a mountain town in Central America that is probably not even known to terrorist groups, I did just re-read “The Handmaid’s Tale” and it just emphasized the need to be very wary of fear-mongering; as wary as we need to be of the terrorists themselves.
I could not agree more that Americans need to use their passports more. Ignorance leads to war and opression. My parents are world travelers, and certainly not ignorant about world issues, but are quite nervous about their safety abroad in 2 weeks. They are leaving heading to several European cities. I guess they would like to know why this threat has been built up and if they should take notice. Does anyone know why this news story blew up this weekend? Until they know the answer, they may put the trip on hold. Also, are there certain areas they are specifically commenting on?
Kelly –
Based on what the individual governments are saying to their individual citizens, Britain, France, and Sweden are the most at risk. But even this might not be a reasonable conclusion. Germany has offered no advisory whatever, and this afternoon Germany’s foreign minister issued a statement seriously downplaying any concern… even while NATO announced that drone attacks in North Wazirstan were particularly successful today as radical German militants were presumed killed… So the bottom line is that the news is conflicting… I have to go back to the original blog, Kelly. Your parents should not interrupt their plans. At least not yet. Remember, it’s not a warning, just an alert. That level of concern is no greater than at most of the American airports, today, where the travel level is “Orange.” Orange is one rung below Red, which is the most severe, and would be issued as a “warning” for travel abroad. In other words, our government — and in this situation I trust them best to know — says that traveling to Europe is the same as traveling through an American airport.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Jim, below and on the blog.
Laurie Meyer
Hi Jim–thanks for your insightful take on travel in Europe and the world! I just got back last night from Europe, as we traveled through France, Switzerland and Germany on a pilgrimage. We went mainly to see the 2010 Passion Play in Oberammergau, Germany for the final weekend of performances and the outdoor theater was packed to the gills!
I could not agree with you more regarding risks of harm in our own cities vs abroad. I usually pray about my trips and if everything falls into place easily then it is my sign to go.
I am out of the BOX again at the end of October to go to the Ancient Kingdoms of Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia!
Take good care—Nancy
Thanks for the insight, Jim!
JIm, always nice to hear the voice of reason. Travel is good for the heart and good for the soul. Boxes are not.