Germany Warns of Heightened Terror Attack Threat

The German government warned over the weekend that the threat of terror attacks was higher than ever before.

In an interview with the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Interior Minister Otto Schily said that in the case of a war in Iraq, it was likely militant groups would try to take advantage of the situation "to whip up further hostilities against western Europe."

He said security experts inside and outside Germany feared Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda organization, blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States, had reorganized and was planning new strikes.

"It can't be predicted what al Qaeda's next targets may be," Schily told public radio. "The organization plans long term and counts on surprise effect."

Although the number of foreign militants dropped by 1,600 to 57,000 in 2002, Schily said these were a potential danger to Germany.Bin Laden's terror network regards Germany as a hostile country, he said. "In addition, there is alarming information on the security of our troops in Afghanistan in the case of a war in Iraq," he said.

Attacks aimed at 'soft targets'

In Germany, Schily warned of terror attacks on American, British and Jewish institutions. He said attacks also could be aimed at so-called "soft targets," which do not have military protection, including office buildings, nightclubs and churches. Because these locations could not be protected day and night, Schily said the public needed as much advance warning as possible.

A domestic German intelligence service also voiced concern over the weekend about possible terror attacks in case of a war in Iraq. Helmut Rannacher, who leads the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Baden-Württemberg, told the Stuttgarter Nachrichten that he expected a high level of solidarity among Islamic militants in the case of a war. Obviously, some militant branches are just waiting for a U.S.-led attack, Rannacher said. "The hatred of Israel and the U.S. is increasing and is turning into a transnational phenomenon," he said.

But in Sunday's interview, Schily warned of causing panic. At vital utilities, the government has reinforced security measures, including water works, energy plants and communication centers, he said. And as to "soft targets," he said "it would be wrong to panic. That way, the terrorists would have won already."