US air base in Germany gets bomb threat
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
SPANGDAHLEM, (Germany), Sept 11 (Agencies): A US air base in western Germany received a bomb threat on Monday evening, prompting a large operation by local police and American forces to secure the site, the US military and German police saidLocal police said they had doubts about the legitimacy of the threat but were taking it seriously.
"There are significant doubts as to the seriousness of the threat," said local police spokesman Gerhard Mueller. "Despite this, however, it is being taken very seriously given the current situation and because of the date. Today is September 11."
Police in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate said the base had received a call from a man who spoke in German with a Russian or Turkish accent and threatened to attack the air base in Spangdahlem with bombs. He said he had at least four accomplices.
The threat came a day before the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States and roughly a week after German authorities say they prevented major bomb attacks on US sites in Germany by a domestic cell of Islamist militants.
"There are significant doubts as to the seriousness of the threat," said local police spokesman Gerhard Mueller. "Despite this, however, it is being taken very seriously given the current situation and because of the date. Today is September 11."
Police in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate said the base had received a call from a man who spoke in German with a Russian or Turkish accent and threatened to attack the air base in Spangdahlem with bombs. He said he had at least four accomplices.
The threat came a day before the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States and roughly a week after German authorities say they prevented major bomb attacks on US sites in Germany by a domestic cell of Islamist militants.