Terror Group Threatens French Railways

[Khephra]

Terror Group Threatens French Railways

Wednesday March 3, 2004 10:46 AM


PARIS (AP) - A previously unknown terror group is threatening to blow up French railway tracks unless it is paid millions of dollars, authorities said Wednesday.

Information from the group led to the recovery on Feb. 21 of an explosive device buried in the bed of a railway line near Limoges in central France, the government said. The bomb would have been powerful enough to break a track, it said.

The government had earlier urged French and international media not to report the blackmail effort to protect efforts to establish contacts with the group. But the Interior Ministry released details about the threats in a statement Wednesday after the story leaked.

The group ``has sent several letters demanding an important sum of money in exchange for neutralizing several bombs it says it has laid, notably under rail lines,'' the ministry's statement said.

more...........................

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-3815678,00.html

[Kemet]

1. Holy sh*t, Limoges is my hometown

I hope they find the other bombs (if they exist) and i really hope they don't give a cent to these nuts (the group calls itself AZF).

[Muddleoftheroad]

2. I hope you are right on both counts

But our societies are built on the premise that people won't do stuff like this. There is no way a free society can prevent these sorts of attacks.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. I'm A Railroad Buff; This Riles Me

I'm a railroad buff, this riles me personally. I not only fear for the passengers put at risk by these terroristic thugs, but I heartily dislike the sorts of jerks who interfere with the harmless past time of watching and photographing passing trains.