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Japan issues travel alert for Europe

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got to love the new paranoid world we live in. I'm so sick of hearing about 'potential' terror bla bla bla. If we change our habits they win. So who cares. Enough already.

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"If we change our habits they win."

I guess you didn't get the memo. The new slogan is "better safe than sorry." Next week it will be "kill all (insert name of religious or ethnic minority here) and let God sort them out."

People like being afraid, and they are used to it. It certainly makes political choices easier for a lot of people. The mosque issues in the US and elections in Sweden are showing that people are snuggling up to xenophobia.

Japan is doing this to toe the line, obviously.

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Woot woot, way to be out in front with this Japan. Leading the way or just the lap dog yipping at the heels.

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Because of the exchange rate with the Euro, there is no better time for Japanese people to visit Europe! The odds of a terrorist attack over there are probably on par with the odds of a big earthquake here....

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Cool! I'm going to Europe next week. Tourists spots will be less crowded then?

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It's not going to stop people going there - and being ripped off for the sub-standard facilities that Europe provides tourists! I think the Europeans will just get on with things, despite the immininent danger of terror attack - they have lived with internal terrorists in Ireland, Spain etc for years.

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Because of the exchange rate with the Euro, there is no better time for Japanese people to visit Europe!

Check out Mediterranean countries like Malta, southern Italy and Croatia instead of 'big' European cities.

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Hey, they got some intel -and now confirmed by some AQ spokesperson- so they communicate it. They're not saying stay away from the EU, they said be aware.

AQ, after the intel report came out, claim they cells already in country. Maybe they're bluffing -who knows. But why not be on the safe side and let people make up their minds if they wish to risk it or not? Afterall, they (the gov'ts) are not denying you your privilege (passports are not "rights", fyi) to go, they're giving you some intel and letting you decide if it's palatable to you or not.

For many of you, the risk is so small that you will assume the risk. And that's it. There's nothing more to it. Here's the info, make of it what you will, is that so bad?

Would it not be irresponsible if the gov't received information which had some credibility and it did not disseminate it?

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The risk of being blown up by a bearded nutcase is less than that of being run over by a car, so things should be kept in proportion. I believe that governments are using these "alerts" to justify intrusive "security" measures, phone tapping, restrictions on liberties etc. This is a big concern as our freedoms are lost whilst the "war on terror" drags interminably on.

I'll run the risk of being blow up and the government can keep its nose out of my business.

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Better safe than sorry, I guess, but I hope this won't deter TOO many people from going, and I hope I don't hear about mobs running to travel agents to cancel (as is often the case).

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Sounds like another case of governments intentionally building the hype, panic and fear, so as to justify some future 'preemptive strike' or 'invasion' by the armed forces.

The cronies who own and control the industrialized military complex are hard at work drumming up fake causes I suspect?

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Better for Japanese people to spend their money inside Japan.

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al-Qaeda now doing their bit to help carbon footprint reduction?

m5c32 right on the money above, but I can see Scrote's point of view too.

The US has an official policy of 'openness'. What advice they give to their diplomats must be shared with the general public, under law. To me it is no more, no less than that, although Japan's motives will be somewhat different. Falling into line, I guess.

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more phoney terror alerts...to keep the public cowed and to justify the murderous US swar of terror. Govts should be ashamed at this behaviour

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Remember that Japan and the UK are US client states...so its no surprise they are eching the US govt...which needs terror alerts to keep up the fictitous war on terror

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All of yesterday's so very incisive analysis by the apologists for militant Islam here on the topic of a US travel alert for Europe right out the window, too funny.

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Another hypothesis I read somewhere is that the governments are announcing these warnings to cover themselves and not be accused of inaction (like for 9/11) when the attack happens. I believe there will be attack sooner or later but this won't change my lifestyle and this shouldn't be considered as a good reason to limit our civil liberties.

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Am I being overly cynical here or do you think the Japan Tourism Ministry has something to do with this? After all, it`s very cheap to go to Europe right now and blow all your yen away in another economy....

...and we all know what will happen if the J government issue a travel advisory. My God, I had students cancel their holidays in Hawaii when the US went into Iraq!

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To add: lets not forget that right now people are thinking about their Shogatsu trips.

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Last time I checked, Japan had more terrorist attacks in the last couple of decades than most of the average European countries. Should Europeans warrant people that rightist Uyoku, big part of Aum or the Red Brigades are still alive and living happily in Japan?

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Very much expected decision as the move was initiated from the Boss.

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OMG!! It is the end of the earth!! NOT!! Alkaiduh and friends will always thirst for blood and revenge, and if we let our guards down, well, we will be dead meat, but you know, there is always a silver lining at the end of the rainbow, if you are arms dealer to the EU, well you will be making tons of money because every is scared of sharia law and the bearded ones, right??

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if you are arms dealer to the EU, well you will be making tons of money because every is scared of sharia law and the bearded ones, right??

Every single criticism of Japan's move (or the USA's recent warning to its citizens in Europe) relies on conspiracy, but taken as a whole none of the conspiracies work together.

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there is always a silver lining at the end of the rainbow, if you are arms dealer to the EU, well you will be making tons of money because every is scared of sharia law and the bearded ones, right??

The only 'customers' they'll get are those secretive militia nuts like the ones they arrested in South Australia this year :(

The big money in Europe's still in lobbying Brussels... plenty of bucks there for the connected few LoL

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This announcement from Japan is no surprise at all as one of Washington's vocal partners in the War of Terror. This dictat came straight from the USA and it's useful to keep an eye on other events surrounding the War of Terror to get an idea of why they should suddenly declare this unexpected concern for everyone's well-being. It's a reminder to us all of why the USA is fighting (covertly and overtly) in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Lest we forget.

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How does the Japanese government justify this warning; where are their own intelligence gatherings / findings?

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The cronies who own and control the industrialized military complex are hard at work drumming up fake causes I suspect?

And just who are the cronies who own "the industrialized military complex" and what are the assets of it? Me suspects some one smokes too much.

more phoney terror alerts...to keep the public cowed and to justify the murderous US swar of terror. Govts should be ashamed at this behaviour

And just what proof do you have they are "phoney"? None I suppose. Just another "phoney" post by a JT poster.

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I snicker to read some of the conspiracy drivel here.

This dictat came straight from the USA

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