PARIS // The French government took up a proposal today to tighten anti-terrorism laws and deter people from travelling abroad to train as terrorists, hoping to prevent a repeat of a deadly attack in which a hardline French Islamist killed seven people.
The measure comes in the aftermath of a shooting spree in southern France in March by young French radical Mohamed Merah, who killed three Jewish children, a rabbi and three paratroopers over eight days before he died in a standoff with police. He claimed links to Al Qaeda and said he received training at an Islamist paramilitary camp in Pakistan.
This measure "will let us pursue people who are going to terrorism training camps abroad, even if they haven't committed any crimes on French soil," said Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, the government spokeswoman.
