Germany Warned on Possible Terror Strike

Associated Press ^ | 12/30/03 | MANFRED ROLFSMEIER,

[TexKat]

HAMBURG, Germany - Police closed streets around a military hospital Tuesday after U.S. authorities warned that Islamic militants planned suicide car bomb attacks against the facility.

The intelligence warning from the United States named two alleged suicide attackers from Ansar al-Islam, a group linked to al-Qaida that planned to carry out the attack on the Bundeswehr hospital, said state Interior Minister Dirk Nockemann.

The alleged suicide attackers traveled to Hamburg in early December, said Heino Vahldiek, head of the Hamburg branch of federal security agency.

Police closed streets about 2:30 p.m. around the hospital in the suburb of Wandsbek.

U.S. officials believe Ansar al-Islam, a group based in northern Iraq, has links to al-Qaida. It is suspected of recruiting holy warriors in Europe for suicide missions in Iraq.

The northern German city of Hamburg was the base for an al-Qaida cell that included three of the Sept. 11 attackers.

The U.S. Embassy in Berlin refused to comment on the reported threat Tuesday.

Police said that after several hours of searching the area around the hospital they found nothing suspicious and made no arrests.

Nockemann described the information about the planned attack as vague, and said there were also threats against U.S. military installations in the Frankfurt area. But the U.S. Air Force Europe said they had received no notification of a terrorist threat.

At the nearby Wandsbek-Gartenstadt subway station, officers with submachine-guns and bulletproof vests checked the identity cards of residents trying to reach their homes.

The area around the clinic swarmed with police officers, who had dozens of vehicles at the scene.

In November, Hamburg police acting on an Italian warrant arrested Algerian Abderrazak Mahdjoub, the alleged leader of a ring suspected of seeking recruits for a training camp run by Ansar al-Islam.

Italian investigators have said Mahdjoub had contacts with two key Ansar al-Islam suspects arrested during raids in Italy in March and April

[TexKat]

German police officers block off a road leading to a German military hospital in Hamburg, northern Germany, Tuesday Dec. 30, 2003. Authorities in Hamburg said Tuesday they received a tip-off that Islamic extremists planned car bomb attacks on the Bundeswehr German military hospital in the city, prompting them to shut off several streets around the building. (AP Photo/Joerg Sarbach)

[Dog]

We even have the terrorists names who will try and carry out the attack...

Damn those counter-terror guys are smoking...

[Cap Huff]

"The alleged suicide attackers traveled to Hamburg in early December . . ."

And their travel itinerary!

[Michael81Dus]

Have you ever tried to smoke with your helmet closed? ;-) LOL, these policemen are guarding the hospital. I´m sure that special agents are already searching the friendly t(err)o(u)rists from N Iraq. Our Federal Interior Minister has stated that he´s sad about the publicity. It´s not helping the investigations/hunt.

[antiRepublicrat]

This reminded me of one thing I liked about security at U.S. bases is that the polizei are called in for reinforcement during heightened alerts. First terrorists have to get through the polizei, and as you can see in the photo, they are well equipped, and as you can't see there's no concept of police brutality there. If a terrorist approaches and rethinks, running off, they will hunt him down and kill if necessary without hesitation.

Then if terrorists make it through the polizei, there are the soldiers with loaded M-16s and more, with orders to shoot to kill if threatened.

The German soldiers guarding many posts are good, too. It was in the middle of all the anti-US feeling there when I asked one how he felt about guarding an American base against threats caused by a war his country didn't approve of. He said "I don't care about that. I am happy that I finally get a chance to help our allies." I started getting teary-eyed.

[americanbychoice]

I would think it very hard not to "advertise" it with several blocks roped off and machine gun carrying Police at every corner.
Would even make any normal citizen suspicious?

[Michael81Dus]

It probably. But however, at airports and even central stations you daily find officers with machine pistols.

[americanbychoice]

I know that, but a Hospital..............and keep it secret?
"Oh hush, they are just practising"?

[Michael81Dus]

LOL, at least it´s a BwK (Bundeswehrkrankenhaus). And people could imagine that a VIP could get treatment there...

[mrustow]

Now, that isn't fair! After all the help the Gerries gave AQ!

[bootless]

>>Damn, those counter-terrorist guys are smoking!<<

Second that. Jack Bauer, watch out! (said in admiration for the real thing)

[pepsionice]

What apparently happened....and the German authorities aren't talking much about the whole thing....there is a large community of Muslims up in the Hamburg area, and the CIA got wind of a terror plan. They presented the evidence, and the Germans quickly agreed. The German media is side-stepping this entire event....trying to avoid discussion because if they admit there is a problem inside of Germany now...then their anti-Bush talk really goes down the drain. On the common sense scale....these dimwit Muslims up in the Hamburg area didn't want to travel far....like to Kaiseralautern or Stuttgart...and the only real target they could pick....was a German military hospital. It really shows how bad off the Muslim effort is running in Germany today.