German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has warned of the risk of possible terrorist attacks in the country.
“The increase in reports and intelligence has led me to raise the previously stated abstract threat to a high threat. It is not yet a concrete threat, but it is already a high threat. This means that the risk of terrorist attacks in Germany exists at all times“, Dobrindt said in an interview with the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.
He claims that plans for attacks against Germany “are clearly being pursued – not only against German infrastructure, but also against individuals and institutions“. "We recently, together with foreign agencies, thwarted a terrorist attack using explosives that was planned by low-ranking agents, so-called disposable agents," the minister said. He also noted that from the very beginning of his term of office he had stated that Germany would modernize its security legislation, including with regard to investigation methods.
"My goal is to transform the counterintelligence agencies into full-fledged intelligence agencies so that they can be competitive and capable of full partnership with friendly foreign agencies. To this end, they will be given operational powers and capabilities in the future, but only in cases where police measures cannot be used to achieve their goals," Dobrindt concluded. He explained that arresting individuals remains the responsibility of the police, but "if it is necessary to counter an acute terrorist threat and in the absence of access to police forces, officers of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution will be able to take measures such as searching residential premises or interfering with the attacker's tools".
Dobrindt said that "Germany is daily subject to attacks by foreign powers that seek to cause harm". "Regarding the attacks on energy and rail infrastructure, we cannot currently prove a Russian connection", he said, responding to a question about "the likelihood that Russia is behind the actions of the saboteurs".