U.S. says Europe poses terrorism threat

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said on Wednesday that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security may now come from within Europe.

In an interview with BBC radio, Chertoff said that American authorities were becoming increasingly aware of a real risk of Europe becoming a "platform for terrorists".

He said it was important to step up security checks on passengers coming from Europe to the United States.

"One of the things we have become concerned about lately is the possibility of Europe becoming a platform for a threat against the United States," Chertoff said.

"We have watched the rise of home-grown terrorism," he added, citing the Madrid train bombing in March 2004 and recent foiled plots in Britain and Germany.

"That suggests to us that the terrorists are increasingly looking to Europe both as a target and as a platform for terrorist attacks."

Chertoff's comments came after reports that British intelligence services are investigating an Islamist Web site which said that a branch of al Qaeda had been established in Britain.

Security experts fear a posting on the site, urging young Muslim men to rise up against what it called infidels such as Prime Minister Gordon Brown and former Prime Minister Tony Blair, may be genuine.