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February 9, 2010
Islamist suspects detained amid tightened Oktoberfest security
Published: 28 Sep 09 11:00 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20090928-22203.html
Munich authorities on Monday tightened security checks at Oktoberfest and detained two suspected Islamists just days after terrorist threats led them to declare airspace above the festival a no-fly zone this weekend.
- Skies cleared over Oktoberfest crowds amid terror fear - Society (26 Sep 09)
- The Local's guide to Oktoberfest - Lifestyle (18 Sep 09)
A ministry spokesperson told the paper the situation remained “highly sensitive,” and that the original team of 300 police officers manning the festival had been significantly increased.
According to the paper, increased security began on Sunday with bag checks, and increased video surveillance.
Herrmann stressed that the checks were “precautionary measures,” and there has been no concrete threat – despite there being two of four recent terrorist videos from al Qaida and the Taliban which specifically mention the Bavarian capital. The videos threatened Germans with terrorist attacks unless they elected a government on Sunday that would withdraw the nation’s troops from Afghanistan.
Meanwhile Munich police announced on Monday morning that they had arrested two suspected Islamists in connection with the videos. Both suspects allegedly had contact with al Qaida member Bekkay Harrach – who threatened Germany in one of the videos, police said.
The two men, who come from the Middle East, will be held until after the festival ends, they said.
On Thursday Oktoberfest revellers had a fright and hundreds called police when a promotional plane flew over the crowd at low altitude.
The no-fly zone order is in effect until Oktoberfest ends on October 4. At least 6 million beer-drinking revellers are expected to attend the festival.
Festival organisers reported some 100,000 more visitors to Oktoberfest than last year’s 3.3 million guests – which they attributed in part to fine autumn weather.
The Local (news@thelocal.de)
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Your comments about this article:
It would only create panic.
What is really sad is that the media is willing to fuel discrimination through poor reporting.
The poor reporting is therefore a result of assuming that Islamism is illegal per se, which of course it isn't. It's only the expressing of those beliefs through blowing yourself up that is neither legal nor cricket.
Sure, sometimes we say "Islamic fundamentalists" in the same way that we use "Christian fundamentalists," but "Islamist" seems to do a better job of separating the religion from the religious follower's actions. "Christianist" would serve the same function.
Totally OT, but I'm just sayin' ...
TO be honest I think the media sometimes, by reporting so much, actually work against the security measures, Like for example CNN talking about how the US General in Afghanistan said that he needs more troops, and without more troops we will lose the war. I'm like dammit don't put that out for everyone to know, now those damn terrorists are going to think to them selves wow, we really are beating them down aren't we. Frankly I think we need a tougher approach with terrorists, we are playing too much defense.
And who cares whether the terrorists think they're winning or losing? You think one or the other would make them give up? I doubt it. Frankly, I think more openness between the government and the press is generally a good thing.
If a general is requesting 10,000 more American troops to be sent to Afghanistan, I want to know why. I want to know what might happen if they don't go, and I want to know what might happen if they do go. As an American taxpayer, I think I have every right to this information.
Just exactly how are these checks and balances supposed to work, anyway, if the voters have no means of deciding whether their elected officials are making good judgments or not? (Let's leave aside for the moment that we now know that those elected officials are not above baldly lying to us in the first place to get public support for military campaigns. We know they lied to us, because the press has uncovered it.)
If I am a potential Wies'n-goer, and threats have been made against the Fest, I think I have a right to that information, too, as well as what is being done to try to prevent an incident. I can weigh whether going to Oktoberfest is likely to be worth it. I know that my personal security is already in danger more than normally at Oktoberfest; I can judge whether this additional threat is tolerable or not.
IF you own a company and you hire someone to be the vice president of that company, do you want him coming to you everytime to ask you if he can do things, or do you give him a certain amount of leeway? Look i'm not saying they shouldnt' tell us everything, I'm just saying that we have to keep security concerns when they are reporting some of the things that they show.
One thing that annoyed me a while back was when they were doing a report on where our new humvees, were coming from, they listed every place the parts were being made and where the humvees were actually being built. I'm like wtf, ok great, now some nut is going to get there, nab one of those top engineers there and get him to spill his guts about the flaws of the humvee. Things like that should be kept private, Yes i'm sure if you tried hard enough you would find the information about where the parts are being built and things like that, but still it will take you some time, and you just might leave some sort of trail.
This is not suppose to be an argument, rather I just want you to know that there are two sides of the coin here. If you want information call your congressman, after all even if you voted for them or not, they are answerable to you since they represent your reigon.