French bill responds to attack on Jewish school

Measure would allow authorities to pursue radicals who’ve received terrorist training overseas

PARIS (AP) — The French government took up a proposal Wednesday to tighten anti-terrorism laws and deter people from traveling abroad to train as terrorists, hoping to prevent a repeat of a deadly attack in which a 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.