(AKI) - France's anti-terrorism forces are on a "total war-footing", following the thwarting in Germany of an alleged al-Qaeda plot this week, a senior French official said Thursday. Foreign ministry spokeswoman, Pascale Andreani, said that the three arrests of suspected terrorists in Germany on Wednesday and a similar operation earlier in the week by authorities in Denmark demonstrated the "efficacy" of cross-border anti-terrorism probes.The three men arrested in Germany allegedly formed part of an al-Qaeda cell planning attacks on Frankfurt international airport and a major US military base. Andreani stressed that the international community, and in particular European nations, should redouble efforts to cooperate in combating terrorism.
Although France, unlike Britain, has no troops in Iraq and is not one of US president George W. Bush's "war on terror", it says it remains a target for Islamic militants. It supports international military operations in Afghanistan, and cooperates over intelligence with Washington, as well as supporting North African states fighting Islamic extremism. The Algerian militant group GIA was held responsible for a nail bomb attack on a Paris metro in 1995, as well as many attacks on civilian and military targets in Algeria.