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Police in Paris evacuated the Eiffel Tower last night after they received a bomb threat. It’s the second time the tower has been emptied in two weeks. That’s because France is on a higher than normal state of terror alert. The government raised the level to red plus – its second highest – after it got information that a female suicide bomber was planning an attack on public transport. Since then, at least two train stations have been evacuated and the police have received more than 100 calls about suspicious packages in public places. But the French are treating the alert with suspicion. Anita Elash reports from Paris. Download MP3

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LISA MULLINS: I’m Lisa Mullins and this is The World. Paris is on edge. Last night, police evacuated the Eiffel Tower for the second time in two weeks. The French government has raised its security alert to red plus, that’s the second highest level. Officials say they did so after receiving word of a possible attack on public transit. In a few minutes we’re going to be hearing reports of the alleged terrorist plot to strike cities in Europe and possibly the United States. First, in France, authorities have evacuated train stations, they’ve been fielding calls about suspicious packages. But as Anita Elash reports, some in Paris are treating the terror alert with suspicion of their own.

ANITA ELASH:  The bustling Gare St. Lazare in central Paris is one of the places feeling the effects of the heightened terror alert. On Monday afternoon, police cleared the station because of a bomb threat. It turned out to be false. Things went back to normal today, except for one thing, extra security. Overhead screens flashed warnings to report any suspicious packages. Teams of soldiers in combat fatigues patrolled the station. Still, it’s the ninth time France has been on high terror alert since 2002. And some commuters say they’ve just gotten used to it.

MALE SPEAKER:  You know, as soon as you have a suspect luggage, it’s better to empty the station than to have any catastrophe. That’s life we have to live with. That’s the 21 century.”

ELASH: Others here say they don’t trust the government’s high state of alert.

SPEAKING FRENCH

ELASH: We’re asking ourselves if everything they’re telling us is true or not, says this commuter.

SPEAKING FRENCH

ELASH: This woman says she doesn’t believe France is being threatened by terrorists. She says President Nicolas Sarkozy is trying to create a climate of fear to divert people’s attention from the scandals facing his government in the past few months. But security experts say the threat against France is real, and it’s increased substantially since July. That’s when French commandos attacked a cell from the North African group, al-Qaeda, in the Maghreb. France was trying to rescue a French aid worker who had been taken hostage in Niger. Since then, al-Qaeda in the Maghreb has kidnapped five more French nationals in Niger, and issues regular communiqués threatening France. The last serious terror attack on French soil was 15 years ago. But Former intelligence officer Louis Caprioli says France has been under constant threat for years.

SPEAKING FRENCH

ELASH: He says the only reason France hasn’t been attacked is because the police have foiled any attempts. He say that’s made the French believe they’re safe, but they’re wrong. Other security experts say the actual risk of an attack hasn’t actually gone up. They say the French government has raised the alert level because it doesn’t want people to be surprised and traumatized the way Americans were after the attacks on 9/11. There were still long lines of tourists waiting to get into the Eiffel Tower today. Security guards carefully checked everyone’s bags. This woman says she recalls the attack in Paris 15 years ago. She believes today’s threat is real but decided to visit anyway.

SPEAKING FRENCH

ELASH: She says her cousin is in town and wanted to come. She adds that if she paid attention to all the warnings, she wouldn’t go anywhere. For The World, I’m Anita Elash in Paris.

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