Over the weekend, the State Department advised Americans to exercise vigilance and remain aware when traveling to Europe. A "travel alert" was issued, which is a step below a "travel warning," which would discourage Americans from traveling at all.
The decision came in response to recent reports of suspected al-Qaeda terrorist plots in various cities and countries in Europe. It is unclear, however, when and where a terrorist attack might take place.
Great Britain, meanwhile, has also upgraded the threat of terrorism from "general" to "high," citing France and Germany in particular as places to be wary of.
If you are planning on vacationing in Europe over winter break or studying abroad next semester, do not let this news deter your plans – at least not yet. The best thing you can do is take the news at face value and treat it as nothing more or less than it is. Without any leads as to where or when an attack might happen, there are no grounds to suspend or cancel plans to travel to certain areas.
It's true that in the post-9/11 world, people must be more careful. But a terrorist attack could just as easily happen here in the U.S., so there's no reason to overreact about Europe yet.
If you do travel to Europe, however, do heed the government's warning. Be especially aware when using public transit, particularly on underground subway systems. Also, important landmarks sure to have large concentrations of tourists and other citizens around them would be more likely to serve as targets for an attack.
Most people that visit European nations are obviously going to visit these landmarks, which is completely justified. The recent government warnings only serve to urge those visitors to remain alert and take notice of their surroundings at all times.
Many, including members of the editorial board, consider studying abroad to be one of the most rewarding experiences that you can be a part of during college. Like any other rewarding experience, though, there are certain risks involved – the risks implicit in traveling and going on adventures in distant lands.
Until more news surfaces that advises to the contrary, keep filling out those study abroad forms if that is what your heart is set on.
The reports of the possible terrorist attack stem from the July capture of a German citizen with connections to al-Qaeda, who confessed that he met with an associate of Osama bin Laden and that bin Laden wanted attacks carried out in Europe.
Currently, however, the German interior ministry maintains, "There is still no concrete evidence of imminent attacks in Germany."
Though the reports of possible attacks are scary and discouraging, we cannot let them determine our lives. In 2010, it is just an unfortunate fact of life that we must all be vigilant and highly aware at all times, especially when traveling.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
