The first of this fall’s incidents was in early September, when French police closed the Eiffel Tower after receiving a bomb threat. Two weeks later, the iconic structure was closed again for the same reason. At the time, French authorities suspected Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb of plotting an attack, the Associated Press reported. French officials said at the time that the French burqa ban may have spurred the threats.
French officials were also on the lookout in late September for a female suicide bomber possibly threatening French public transport, the Daily Mail reported. Combined, these incidents prompted significant anxiety about impending threats. "The risk of a terrorist attack on French soil has never been higher," said Bernard Squarcini, head of French domestic intelligence, according to the Daily Mail.
