State Department issues travel warning for Americans abroad in Europe.
Update from the White House and European reactions after the jump. And: Japan issues warning Monday.
Assistant Press Secretary Nicholas Shapiro:
The President has been following the threat information on a daily basis … From the day we became aware of this latest plot, the President made clear we need to do everything possible to disrupt this plot and protect the American people.
(Via Politico’s Mike Allen)
In Europe, experts are worried, but Americans may need a more specific threat to deter travels.
Japan issues a travel alert Monday for nationals living or traveling in Europe, warning of “possible terrorist attacks” by al-Qaeda and affiliated groups.
With the coming holiday travel season, this is a tough job for the administration. They must juggle the normal need to keep citizens informed and safe without inciting panic or hurting tourism. This is the kind of challenge that Rahm would have been at the center of. Every key national security figure in the administration – Biden, Napolitano, Holder -- has made verbal errors in dealing with such situations in the past. This will be the first test – and a vexing one – of how the administration deals with complex challenges in the post-Rahm era.
