French authorities have arrested an Egyptian terrorist for planning to attack an IDF fundraising event in Paris, France’s anti-terror chief Squarcini Bernard told the French-language newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche (The Sunday Journal).
“We foil an average of two attacks per year,” said Bernard. He specifically referred to a “suicide bomber who planned to blow up a theater in Paris during a fundraiser for the Israeli army.” Bernard added that the terrorist was arrested in Egypt and was extradited to France.
"The threat [of terrorism in France] has never been greater,” he said, explaining that the level of the threat of an attacks is "now at the same level of threat in 1995… All the indicators are red. The threat has never been greater.
“All scenarios are considered. We know that Al Qaeda has long sought to make bombs.”
"The threat of terrorism based on religious fanaticism” is significant, according to Bernard, but he added, “There are, about 6 million Muslims in France; there are maybe 300 people with problems. As for places of worship, about 1800, less than 30 may be a problem. The monitoring system of the Ministry of Interior, which has the authority on cults, is good.”
As for Bin Laden, he maintained that it does not matter if he is alive or dead. “The question now is whether Al Qaeda is contained on the Afghan-Pakistan area or if it can establish a lasting presence in Yemen and Somalia... Remember, 15 years ago, when we suffered a series of attacks, the threat came from just east of Algiers. It has greatly expanded.”