U.S. Issues a Terrorism Alert for Travel in Europe

This article discusses current terror alerts in Britain, France and Germany. Recent Al Qaeda stirrings have prompted the United States to issue an alert to any Americans traveling to or living in Europe. Although specifics regarding the potential terrorist plots are unknown, the State Department has urged Americans to exercise caution in public transportation systems and tourist venues. The article also indicates that the United States has been continuing to pursue its drone missile campaign in Pakistan, in an effort to foil any Al Qaeda efforts, and weaken possible terrorist strongholds. The article caused me to consider the following: how many terrorist plots, of which the American public has no knowledge, are averted on a daily basis. The CIA keeps this information confidential for valid reasons. Public knowledge of existing terrorist plots would prove to be disconcerting to citizens, and would interfere with governmental efforts to diffuse potential attacks. Nevertheless, it is interesting to consider how many threats that the Department of Homeland Security faces on a day-to-day basis. I suppose that Americans lead a more comfortable life, void of constant fear, as a result of this secrecy.