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Bomb false alarms keep European cities on edge
 Bomb threats have left European cities on edge after blasts in London that killed at least 52 people last week, with residents wondering where the next attack will hit and trying to cope with nerve-rattling false alarms. Londoners, still recovering from Thursday's bombing of three underground stations and a double-decker bus, have had to grapple with a series of threats and evacuations. On Monday, Whitehall, a street that houses many government offices, was evacuated and sealed off for over 30 minutes as police investigated a "suspect package." King's Cross station was also closed briefly due to a security alert.But London is not alone. Italy and Denmark -- like Britain, key allies in the U.S.-led military operation in Iraq -- have also been the target of bomb scares and menacing Internet messages that threaten to become a daily fixture. "Of course we're afraid, but what can we do? We still have to go to work, we still have to use the Metro to get there," said Adriano Lardera, 64, as he walked out of Milan's crowded Duomo metro station by the city's cathedral. "Life goes on. And if it happens, it happens." "There is no reason for particular alarmism," said Foreign Minister Gianfranco Fini after a reporter asked if he thought Italy would be next. "But there is even less reason not to act with conviction and determination." In recent days, Rome has had to evacuate a terminal at its international airport, a street near the interior minister's home and the main offices of a major bank. Officials in Copenhagen have meanwhile emptied train and underground stations three times to examine suspicious luggage. All the incidents have proven to be false alarms, but they have left Europeans twitchy and afraid. Even fairly commonplace power failures and train delays have sparked moments of panic. Shortly after the London attacks, a group claiming links to al Qaeda said it was responsible for the bombs and threatened to target Italy and Denmark next if they didn't withdraw troops. The Internet message and similar claims by two other little-known Islamist groups are being treated with caution but security measures across Europe have been stepped up. Public transport has come under particular scrutiny, with uniformed officers and plainclothes police patrolling train, subway and bus stations. Commuters and consumers are trying to come to terms with their new reality. "I was thinking about the attacks today. I considered if I should take the train," Helle Bovbjerg, 34 told Danish daily Ekstra Bladet. "There is a certain shock effect, but you have to live life like before. Otherwise you would go crazy." Posted by: Fred 2005-07-12 |
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