Germany Steps Up Internal Security Measures

Published October 8th, 2001 - 02:00 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Interior Minister Otto Schily on Monday announced a strengthening of Germany's security forces following the launch of US-British attacks against Afghanistan. 

He said that he had already ordered the expansion of the border police by several hundred more officers. 

Schily said while the situation in Germany had been calm since the strikes began one could not rule out resultant attacks inside the country. 

"We must already reckon on some violent attack or other, probably on American or British installations," the interior minister said. 

US, British and Israeli diplomatic missions and other establishments have already been put under extra guard, Schily said. 

A spokesman for the Lower Saxony interior ministry meanwhile said that from Tuesday French and Australian premises would also be put under special guard. 

In Berlin, mayor Klaus Wowereit said that people could expect to be affected in their daily life. He told Inforadio Berlin-Brandenburg that "one should expect that soon there will be security checkpoints in the city". 

Although there no concrete indications of planned terrorist attacks in the capital, "we must be on the defensive", Wowereit said. 

He said that some events in campaigning for the election of a new Berlin regional parliament on October 21 could also be cancelled and that planned demonstrations would have to be reviewed to see if they could go ahead -- BERLIN (AFP)

© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)

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