- Oct 24, 2000
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The US Embassy in Berlin on Friday announced that it was increasing its "security posture" in light of a perceived threat. The Americans didn't say why, but the German press writes that an Iraqi terror group may have been casing US targets in Germany.
The US Embassy in Berlin on Friday announced that it was increasing its "security posture" due to what an announcement on its Web site refers to as a "heightened threat situation." The announcement urged US citizens living in Germany to "increase their vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security."
The message, which did not appear on embassy Web sites in other European countries, did not mention any specific threats nor did it indicate why the message was posted on Friday. The embassy likewise refused to comment on why the message had been posted, nor did it comment on what the nature of the threat might be.
"As German authorities, including most recently (Federal Criminal Police Office) the BKA in March, have consistently noted, Germany faces an increased threat of terrorism," an embassy spokeswoman told SPIEGEL ONLINE, reading from a prepared statement. "US government facilities constantly assess their security posture in light of information related to this heightened threat environment."
The German Ministry of the Interior on Friday responded to the warning by saying that German officials share the Americans' security concerns. According to a report on the Web site of the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, the threat could originate from the Iraqi terrorist group Ansar al-Sunna, a group responsible for dozens of attacks inside of Iraq.
According to the paper, which sourced its story to "security circles," American secret service officials warned Germany earlier this month that suspected members of Ansar al-Sunna had attempted to survey US installations in southern Germany. The paper writes that US officials also had information that attacks in Germany had been planned.
Daily Die Welt likewise writes on Friday that security officials are concerned about "attacks by Iraqi Kurds and terrorists who have snuck into Germany from Iraq." Three alleged members of Ansar al-Sunna are currently standing trial in a Stuttgart court for the attempted assassination of then Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in December 2004.
Source: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,478538,00.html
The US Embassy in Berlin on Friday announced that it was increasing its "security posture" due to what an announcement on its Web site refers to as a "heightened threat situation." The announcement urged US citizens living in Germany to "increase their vigilance and take appropriate steps to bolster their own personal security."
The message, which did not appear on embassy Web sites in other European countries, did not mention any specific threats nor did it indicate why the message was posted on Friday. The embassy likewise refused to comment on why the message had been posted, nor did it comment on what the nature of the threat might be.
"As German authorities, including most recently (Federal Criminal Police Office) the BKA in March, have consistently noted, Germany faces an increased threat of terrorism," an embassy spokeswoman told SPIEGEL ONLINE, reading from a prepared statement. "US government facilities constantly assess their security posture in light of information related to this heightened threat environment."
The German Ministry of the Interior on Friday responded to the warning by saying that German officials share the Americans' security concerns. According to a report on the Web site of the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel, the threat could originate from the Iraqi terrorist group Ansar al-Sunna, a group responsible for dozens of attacks inside of Iraq.
According to the paper, which sourced its story to "security circles," American secret service officials warned Germany earlier this month that suspected members of Ansar al-Sunna had attempted to survey US installations in southern Germany. The paper writes that US officials also had information that attacks in Germany had been planned.
Daily Die Welt likewise writes on Friday that security officials are concerned about "attacks by Iraqi Kurds and terrorists who have snuck into Germany from Iraq." Three alleged members of Ansar al-Sunna are currently standing trial in a Stuttgart court for the attempted assassination of then Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi in December 2004.
Source: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,478538,00.html
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