German Press Review: The Dark Specter of Al Qaeda

The editorial page of the Hamburg-based Financial Times Deutschland on Friday considered the latest reminder from Interior Minister Otto Schily that Germany remains under threat from al Qaeda. "Schily was right to make the point," the paper opined, "because despite the bloody attacks in Bali and Djerba, Germans have become complacent. The fanatic suicide attackers are too far away, Sept. 11, 2001, was too long ago. The truth is that no one here is safe from acts of terrorism. Leading al Qaeda fighters lived in Germany for years, and according to intelligence officials, some are still here." The government has a responsibility to keep the threat of terrorism in the public consciousness, the paper concluded.

Meanwhile, the Berliner Kurier remained unconvinced by reassurances from security officials that there are no indications of a terrorist attack here in Germany. "There weren't any warnings for what happened in Djerba or Riyadh either," the paper wrote, adding: "The sad truth is that it could happen anywhere. Al Qaeda's fighters are all over the world, prepared to kill. There's a very fine line between the necessary communication of important information, and panic-inducement. But pretending there's no danger doesn't help anyone," warned the paper.

Berlin's Die Welt commented on the release of six German tourists who were kidnapped in Algeria. "Together with 11 hostages from other European countries, their frightening drama came to an end. But there is no cause for joy yet," the paper wrote, "because the fate of the 15 other hostages, including 10 Germans, is still unclear. No one should say that it's the tourists' fault anymore, that they are victims of their own thirst for adventure," the paper noted. "If it's truly the case that terrorists are responsible for the kidnappings, then this is no protest against excessive tourism, it's another attack in the crazy war against the West."

But the Stuttgarter Zeitung offered an altogether different take: The kidnapped holiday makers in the Sahara had to learn from bitter experience that the safe, idyllic desert getaway they bought was an illusion. "When it comes to modern adventure travel, terror, war and crisis have become inescapable travel companions. And since that's not about to change, Germans are not just world champions in adventure travel, they're also masters in the art of suppressing the dangers such travel involves."