FRANCE ACTS AGAINST WOULD-BE JIHADISTS – AT 10:52 A.M. ET:  Sometimes I get the feeling that some European nations, especially France, are more serious about security than we are.  From AP: 

France plans to ban citizens suspected of links to radical Islamic groups from leaving the country in a new bill aimed at strengthening anti-terrorist legislation.

The draft bill unveiled Wednesday would allow authorities to stop French nationals from traveling if they are suspected of having links to a jihadist network. It would also allow investigators to question and charge people with individual terrorist plans, often described as "lone wolves."

The government is concerned to prevent attacks by individuals returning from Syria. Around 600 French nationals are in Syria to fight with radical Islamic groups or are planning to go there, according to the Interior Ministry.

The plan is to be presented to Parliament in the coming weeks with an aim for a vote by the end of the year.

COMMENT:  Sounds reasonable to me.  We should do that here, although we would have to introduce safeguards to be sure innocent people aren't held back from traveling.  I think that's easy to do, and common sense should prevail.  People aren't traveling to Syria or Somalia these days because of the tourist attractions. 

July 9, 2014