'We Will Take No Risks' ; Security a 'Major Issue' for D-Day Ceremonies

The Washington Times › June 02, 2004

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Summary

Sixty years after Allied forces stormed the beaches along northern France, the quiet towns and villages dotting the coastline of Normandy are preparing for another invasion, one which, not unlike Operation Overlord ahead of June 6, 1944, is being masterminded with military precision.

The elaborate preparations for the ceremonies marking the 60th anniversary of D-Day - which will involve more than 20,000 participants - have been complicated by restrictive security measures. Yesterday, the French Defense Ministry placed the entire country on red alert, the second-highest level in the government's counterterrorism program, and sealed off public access to all sensitive areas in Normandy.

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Extract

'We Will Take No Risks' ; Security a 'Major Issue' for D-Day Ceremonies

"We will take no risks; we will do everything possible to plug any loopholes in the system," said Hamlaoui Mekachera, the French minister of war veterans responsible for coordinating the project. ...

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