France Targets Foreign-trained Extremists With New Law

Paris -- A new anti-terrorism bill unveiled by France's government Wednesday would expand already tough laws and seek to deter people from traveling abroad to train at terror camps, and is designed to prevent a repeat of an attack during which a French Islamist killed seven people.

In March, a young French radical Mohammad Merah killed three Jewish children, a rabbi and three paratroopers over eight days before he died in a standoff with police. Merah claimed links to Al-Qaeda and said he had received training at an Islamist paramilitary camp in Pakistan.

The bill would give new power to France's already-strong legal arsenal to fight terrorism by allowing authorities to bring to justice anyone who attends foreign training camps, even before they can strike at home. (continue reading...)