Armed Troops Patrol British Landmarks After Manchester Attack Soldiers were on the streets a day after the U.K. raised the country’s terror-threat alert to its highest level By Robert Wall
https://www.wsj.com/articles/armed-troops-patrol-london-landmarks-after-manchester-attack-1495622843
LONDON—Rifle-toting soldiers in camouflage took up positions around Buckingham Palace and patrolled Westminster on Wednesday, as Britain joined European neighbors in deploying military force against terrorism at home.
The U.K. government sent troops to the streets a day after raising the country’s terror-threat alert to its highest level while investigating the bombing of a concert in Manchester, England. The Monday night attack, which killed at least 22, added to the catalog of recent terror that has bloodied some of Europe’s biggest cities, including London, Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Nice, France.
Britain joins France and Belgium, which have also had high-profile military personnel deployments to bolster domestic police and security forces in the wake of attacks. For tourists, soldiers in military fatigues clustered at airports, train stations and museum entrances have been jarring and grim reminders of the heightened state of alert the continent has adopted.
For many Europeans, it has also become a part of life. Troop deployments in France and Brussels were initially seen as temporary measures. In both countries, soldiers are still patrolling alongside police more than a year after rolling out.
“It is easy to get soldiers on the streets,” said Ben Barry, senior fellow for land warfare at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “It is much more difficult to get them off.”
France, which has suffered the brunt of recent attacks, has adopted a particularly visible domestic war-footing. Military troops carrying assault rifles patrol the boulevards of Paris. Security officials conduct bag checks in front of grocery stores and cinemas.
Security officers have set up cordons around tourist sites like the Louvre museum. The vast space under the Eiffel Tower, long a gathering place for tourists and locals alike, is now accessible only after passing through metal detectors. Temporary barriers erected around the structure are being replaced with a permanent, eight-foot-tall glass wall that will be finished by autumn.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday proposed extending France’s state of emergency—in place since November 2015—for another five months. The emergency status allows warrantless searches and house arrest.
France has dispatched 7,500 troops across the country to augment police and other security forces. About half are in Paris. The home-front deployment involves about the same number of troops currently involved in France’s various overseas commitments, including in places such as Iraq and Mali. CONTINUE AT SITE
Comments are closed.
