Germany: Widening Europe Terror Alert "Alarmist"

Last Updated 2:05 p.m. ET

As Japan joined the U.S. and Britain in issuing warnings to travelers of possible terrorist attack by al Qaeda or other groups in Europe, Germany sought to quell alarm, calling the official alerts and the media reports surrounding them "alarmist."

Meanwhile, tourists appeared to be taking the mounting warnings in stride.

On Monday the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo urged Japanese citizens to be cautious when using public transport or visiting popular tourist sites, heightening the possibility of damage to Europe's tourism industry.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry called on travelers to the rest of Europe to observe "increased vigilance and caution," but stopped short of advising Swedes not to travel. The travel alert did not single out any particular countries.

The Swedish intelligence agency SAPO on Friday raised the terror alert from low to elevated, noting a shift in activities among Sweden-based groups that could be plotting attacks against the country.

But SAPO also said the terrorism threat remained low in Sweden compared with other European countries, and that no attack was imminent.

CBS News correspondent Mark Phillips reports that British residents have even been warned to stay away from their own public transport hubs and tourist attractions due to the apparent "potential" for terror attacks.

The security services say they have information the attacks are aspirational, reports Phillips. In other words, the plotting seems to be in the early planning stages, not an imminent danger. Still, people are being told to increase vigilance and avoid many of the areas they traverse on a daily basis.

The U.S. State Department alert Sunday advised the hundreds of thousands of American citizens living or traveling in Europe to take more precaution about their personal security.

The alert said that terrorists "may elect to use a variety of means and weapons and target both official and private interests." It cited the potential danger of terrorists targeting "public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure," noting that attacks have been waged in the past on subways, trains, planes and boats.

CBS News homeland security correspondent Bob Orr reports that his sources in the intelligence and law enforcement spheres are more concerned about the present threat in Europe than they have been about any other potential dangers since the 2006 liquid plane bomb plot was uncovered.

Orr said the State Department's alert should be taken seriously as sources say the threat has been traced back to core members of the al Qaeda leadership - even approved by Osama bin Laden himself, according to some reports - who have "given marching orders" for operatives in Europe to attack when and where they can.

But a cooler tone was taken at a Berlin news conference Monday, where Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said, "There is no reason to be alarmist at this time."

He insisted that authorities in Berlin have been aware since early 2009 of possible targets in the German capital that were mentioned in U.S. media reports over the weekend.

According to de Maiziere, Germany has no concrete evidence of an imminent attack and that security forces are vigilant due to an ongoing "high abstract danger" of the terror threat.

A French official said Western nations are aligned in their estimation of the threat.

"These American recommendations are line with the recommendations that we have made on our own territory," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero, pointing to France's "red" terror alert status - the second-highest in the French warning system.

"All countries concerned have a convergent analysis of the high level of threat in Europe," Valero said.

Britain, France and Germany have not raised their terror threat levels in recent weeks - in part because they are already high.

In Rome, speaking on state-run RAI TV, Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the U.S. alarm about the potential for a terror attack in Europe was "realistic" for Italy because it has troops in Afghanistan.

Frattini said there were no specific Italian targets. But he said the arrest early last month in Naples of an Algerian man suspected of links to a network recruiting fighters for Afghanistan showed that the threat is real for Italy.

Authorities in Europe sought to play down any talk of a rift in approach.

"The Americans have got to make their own announcements, that's a matter for them. We work very closely with them on these issues, and have the same policy - which is to update travelers and give them advice as and when we think it's appropriate," Steve Field, spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, told reporters in London.

And in Washington, the FBI and the U.S. Homeland Security Department said they have no indication that terrorists are targeting the U.S. or its citizens as part of a new threat against Europe.

According to an intelligence bulletin obtained Monday by The Associated Press, the two U.S. government organizations said al Qaeda continues to want to attack the United States, but nothing points to anything specific, imminent or related to the European plots.

The problem, says Orr, is that officials don't have enough specific intelligence to select landmarks or infrastructure to defend more robustly - leaving the onus of vigilance on residents and tourists themselves.

"You're obviously not going to give anything away to the terrorists. But that vagueness can be quite difficult for the public to understand in terms of what they actually have to do," terrorism expert Peter Clarke told CBS News.

For tourists who came to Europe to see just the places which they've now been advised to avoid, there's only so much you can do without ruining a vacation.

"You know, you got to be aware and take cautions as you can, because you have got to get on with your life," said one American tourist on the streets of London. "You can't stop living."

"We have threats all around us all the time, so you just go," added an American woman who is also touring the British capital.

European authorities have tightened efforts to keep the public safe in the wake of the warnings in Britain, France and Germany.

On Monday, French authorities arrested a man in his 50s who is suspected of several bomb threats in Paris, including one at a railway hub, a police official said. The man, who was not identified, was detained southwest of the capital on suspicions of links to a phone-in threat at the Saint-Lazare train station.

French authorities have recorded nine bomb alerts in the capital last month, including at the Eiffel Tower - a threefold increase from a year earlier. No explosives were found.

The British Foreign Office warned travelers to France and Germany that the terror threat in the countries was high.

Security officials say terrorists may be plotting attacks in Europe with assault weapons on public places, similar to the deadly 2008 shooting spree in Mumbai, India.

Phillips reports, however, that with a few exceptions, the general terror alert levels across Europe have not been raised. And security experts wonder whether raising anxiety levels alone may be counterproductive.

"It could actually have the detrimental effect of, rather than raising people's awareness, because it's so general, people just ignore it," said former London Assistant Police Commissioner Andy Hayman.

Only France, which has its own terror fears because of a campaign to ban Muslim women wearing the Burka, has had specific threats and has briefly closed tourist attractions like the Eiffel Tower.

Business travelers and tourists arriving at Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport from the United States on Monday said they were aware of the new warnings from authorities but weren't changing their plans.

, ahead of the next match of their European preseason tour.

"We know where to go and the places to visit and again, you have to cherish the moment because it's not often you get a chance to play an NBA game in Paris," star forward Amare Stoudemire said.

Karen Bilh, a 39-year-old traveler from Cincinnati, arrived Monday in Paris for a vacation. "We'll pay extra caution and if there's terror threats, we'll listen to police in the area. We're excited about the trip," she said.

"I'm very happy to be here in France. I think we're very safe, and I trust the French government to keep us safe," said James O'Connell, a 59-year-old from Pittsburgh, arriving in Paris for a 7-day vacation.

Travelers taking the Eurostar trains between London and Paris were similarly determined not to let the warnings disrupt their plans.

Jennifer D'Antoni, who owns a retail clothing store in Britain, was in Paris to celebrate her birthday.

"I had a wonderful time and I'll come back again. In fact, I wish I was here for another day because I didn't get to see everything. We are just going to be a bit more cautious getting on the train," she said.

Appearing on ABC's "Good Morning America" today, Michael Chertoff, who headed the Department of Homeland Security during the Bush administration, said Americans in Europe should take commonsense precautions

"Don't walk around with the American flag on your back," Chertoff said.