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Terror alert "Vigipirate plan" was raised to red level in French mainland on Tuesday morning and the security control was established at borders before the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6, the French Defense Ministry announced.
"Within the framework of Vigipirate, the Defense Ministry will engage very soon some 4,000 persons in case of raise of level for the ceremonies of the 60th anniversary," Defense ministry's spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau said at a press conference last Thursday.
The French terror alert has been raised to red level from May 24 in Normandy base and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin decided to expand it to the mainland.
Concretely, mixed police and military forces will check trains, especially Eurostar which link France and Britain, railway stations and highway control will be also reinforced.
France also decided to set up some checkpoints at the borders in accordance with article 2.2 of the Schengen Convention, under which one of the signatories can decide to set up some adequate controls at the interior borders during a limited period.
The ceremonies will be held from June 5 to June 7, grouping 15 heads of State and of government, including US President George W. Bush.
France's anti-terrorist Vigipirate alert level plan has four levels: yellow, orange, red and scarlet, from the lowest to the highest.
(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2004)
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