- Title: Germany must brace for more attacks by radicalized Muslims - officials
- Date: 4th July 2017
- Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (JULY 4, 2017) (REUTERS) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE AND HEAD OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL OFFICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION HANS-GEORG MAASSEN ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CLOSE OF DE MAIZIERE AND MAASSEN SHOWING REPORT ON ECONOMY PHOTOGRAPHERS DE MAIZIERE AND MAASSEN SITTING AT DESK PAN FROM FRONT TO BACK OF CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "Within the Islamic scene, a shift has been noted towards a more violence oriented and jihadist movement. At the moment, in Germany, we have around 680 people in this scene who pose a potential threat. That is more than ever before." JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL OFFICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION, HANS-GEORG MAASSEN, SAYING: "Our prognosis: We see no clear evidence that the threat of danger will decrease, rather the opposite. Looking at the situation in neighbouring countries and from information shared with our partners, there are signs that the threat will increase or at least will stay at the current level. Like other western nations Germany is an obvious enemy of IS and Islamist terrorist groups. As I have said in my core statement, we must therefore expect further attacks with terrorist motives." JOURNALISTS WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL OFFICE FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION, HANS-GEORG MAASSEN, SAYING: "We are seeing a consistently high threat through active measures undertaken by foreign states, particularly through espionage, through propaganda, but also through cyber attacks." PRESS CONFERENCE, WIDE PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "We saw a likely influence on the elections in America, we have seen attempts to influence the elections in France. Everything points towards this stemming from Russia. Therefore we can't exclude the possibility of a similar attempt on the German elections, and we are preparing ourselves for that." JOURNALISTS TAKING NOTES JOURNALIST TAKING PHOTO DE MAIZIERE TALKING, PAN TO MAASSEN DE MAIZIERE AND MAASSEN DURING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN INTERIOR MINISTER THOMAS DE MAIZIERE, SAYING: "This is exactly the kind of development we can see here, that the intensity of conflicts is increasing. Whether Right-wing or Left-wing, by foreigners, through the internet and on the streets. And we have to find a way to deal with this on the other hand we also have to say that this isn't anything that threatens the core of our country." PAN OVER NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 18th July 2017 14:00
- Keywords: de Maiziere security Germany cyber attacks
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- City: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016OAXIYV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Germany should brace for further attacks given growing numbers of potential Islamist militants, top security officials warned on Tuesday (July 4), vowing to step up efforts to prosecute, convict and deport suspects.
Germany was hit by five Islamist attacks in 2016, including a December attack on a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 people, while an additional seven attacks failed or were thwarted, Hans-Georg Maassen, president of Germany's BfV domestic intelligence agency, told reporters.
The agency's annual report for 2016 said there were 24,400 Islamists in Germany, including around 9,700 Salafists, and the number of Salafists had increased to 10,100 this year. The total also includes some 10,000 members of the Turkish Islamist Milliu Gorus movement, the report showed.
The total number of suspected Islamists marks a drop from the year earlier, but the report said that did not mean the threat had diminished.
The report said hundreds of "jihadists" had entered the country among the over one million migrants who had come into Germany over the past two years.
Altogether, security officials were keeping tabs on some 680 potential Islamist threats, most of whom were influenced by Salafist ideology, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said.
Germany also expects Russia to seek to influence its general election on Sept. 24, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said, adding that data stolen in a 2015 hack of the lower house of parliament could surface in the coming weeks. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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