BY HERALD REPORTER
PANJIM, DEC 14 2006 — Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane has dismissed Al Qaeda threat to Goa and assured that the State “is safe for tourists and stringent security measures were in place to protect them. The authorities have taken all possible steps to ensure security... There is no reason to fear. We are always prepared to tackle anything.’’
The chief minister made this assurance in response to a travel advisory issued by Israel asking its citizens to avoid travelling to Goa as they would face serious threat of Al Qaida attacks in the next few weeks.
According to him, “Goa is a peaceful State and we want to maintain it like that.’’ Confirming the level of preparedness, Chief Secretary J P Singh said, “I have not received any intelligence inputs warning of possible terror attacks. Goa is on general alert for the tourist season and it will continue. We are always alert.”
State Director General of Police B S Brar, rejecting Israeli warnings of “a severe terror threat,” said: “We have not received any specific threat or intelligence on such a threat either from New Delhi or any international agency.”
Brar said, “Words such as ‘concentrated’ are vague and mean nothing. Maybe it’s just a general advisory to Israelis,” and added “Goa is one of the safest places in the world and we have taken adequate precautions and all our guests will be safe.”
Confirming this, Home Ministry officials, in Delhi clarified that there was no report of the terror outfit’s presence in the country. “We do not have any report of Al Qaeda presence in the country,’’ said a Home Ministry official.
In a travel advisory on its Hebrew-language web site, Israel’s foreign ministry said, ‘’ there is now a concrete threat focusing on the Goa region where multitudes of visitors, including Israelis, gather... in late December.’’
Israel’s National Security Council’s counter-terrorism headquarters had also said in its advisory yesterday that a concrete threat now exists specifically for Goa during late December.
