The U.S. military community serving in Europe received a statement Sunday from the U.S. European Command Headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. The announcement comes just weeks before the opening of the Olympic Games and while the European Championship is taking place in Germany. There are five levels of anti-terrorist force protection: ‘Normal,’ ‘Alpha,’ ‘Bravo,’ ‘Charlie,’ and ‘Delta.’
The conditions of the protection of the anti-terrorist force (progressive levels of a terrorist threat system that establish security measures to be adopted in the face of possible threats) have been raised all US bases in Europe to ‘Charlie’ until further notice. This measure, of the second highest levelis used when an incident occurs or when information is received indicating that it is “likely that some type of terrorist activity or attack against personnel will occur [militar] or the facilities [militares]”The danger is not only abroad, but also within the United States.
An officer told that This level of threat has not been seen in Europe for almost 10 years. The action of the headquarters in promoting ‘Charlie’ as protection of the anti-terrorist force means that The Pentagon has received information about a “credible active threat.” Last Saturday, the Spangdahlem air base in West Germany announced that as a precaution, the airmen of the ’52nd Fighter Wing’ unit have prohibited from wearing their uniforms outside the air base and therefore must wear civilian clothes, he reports. Stripes and Stars. This combination of factors “could impact the safety of service members stationed in the European theater of operations” not related to a single threat, explains Sabrina Singh, a spokeswoman for the U.S. government. That is, not related to either the Euro tournament or the Olympic Games.
On the first weekend of the month, a coordinated undercover operation was carried out in three different American cities. Eight individuals who are suspected—by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force—of be linked to the Islamic State (ISIS), were arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel, the report confirmed. New York Post. Officials said the individuals had clean criminal records when they crossed the Mexican border into the United States. The JTTF has been aware of the incident for months. a possible terrorist threat originating in Central Europewhich prompted the FBI to put the group under surveillance.
Germany has the largest American military community outside the country, If you combine the air base in Ramstein with the Rhineland-Palatinate base, which has more than 40,000 military members, their families, civilians and defense contractors, he explains Stars and Stripes. In addition, it has 14,000 Department of the Army civilians working for Washington on the continent with more than 21,000 family members, along with 7,000 forces assigned to support the Atlantic resolutionThe United States has headquarters in five European countries: Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, Belgium and Spain.
Military bases in Italy, Bulgaria and Romania also sent out statements, he said. Stars and Stripes. An attack on military personnel or a base would be catastrophic. FBI Director Christopher Wray has been warning for years of possible attacks against Americans. In August 2022, he explained that He is concerned that Al Qaeda will “reconstitute” itself and that the Islamic State is taking advantage of the “deterioration of the security situation, and that terrorists are inspired by what they see there”; increasing concerns of possible attacks on US soil. He also warned that the country is under constant espionage attacks by China, particularly the economic sector, which is victimized every 12 hours.
“Our security authorities are doing everything possible to protect [la Eurocopa] against any threat,” clarified Nancy Faeser, the German Federal Minister of the Interior for Construction and Homeland at a press conference on June 7. Her main focuses are violent crimes, pickpocketing, cyber attacks, Disinformation and extremist and terrorist threats.
The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said on June 4 that he has seen “the threat from foreign terrorists grow significantly after October 7.” Wray mentioned in his statement that there was already a risk of violence in the United States before Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel. “Since then, We have witnessed a multitude of foreign terrorist organizations calling for attacks against Americans and our allies.“Their biggest concern is that small groups or individuals might be inspired by the conflict in the Middle East and carry out attacks on U.S. soil, like the eight Russian nationals.”
The Washington Institute reports that on March 11, two suspected IS members were arrested in Stuttgart. In April, two Iraqis were convicted in Bavaria on suspicion of committing crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, and membership in the Islamic State. On June 20, an Iraqi was sentenced for entering Germany in October 2022 to commit attacks on behalf of the Islamic State. On June 7, an Afghan man with “radical Islamic motivations” was arrested in Cologne after stabbing several people at an anti-Islam protest. Before his arrest, he was recognized in videos posted on ISIS channels in Khorasan on YouTube. On June 10, a suspected “sympathizer of the foreign terrorist organization Islamic State” was arrested. In Paris, French authorities on May 22 charged an 18-year-old man with “a plot targeting spectators attending football matches” at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
[‘¡Kosovo es Serbia!’, ‘¡Puto croata!’: cómo los Balcanes han hecho de la Eurocopa el ‘grand prix’ del insulto]
‘Bravo’ in the United States
The arrest of the eight individuals was based on immigration charges, although the reason lies in possible links to the Islamic State. In the future, they could be charged with terrorism. One of those arrested entered the country using the CBP One mobile application, with which immigrants request appointments to be processed in a more efficient and orderly manner, “while eliminating unscrupulous traffickers who endanger and take advantage of vulnerable immigrants.” Kari Lake, a Republican senator from the state of Arizona, confirmed through a post on X that The detainees are Russian nationals, but lived in Tajikistan before settling in the United States. He also clarified that it is the same country from which “four terrorists crossed the border into Russia and murdered 145 concertgoers during the terrorist attack on March 22.”
The group responsible for the terrorist attack in Moscow, the Islamic State in Greater Khorasan (ISIS-K), has been responsible for the Deadliest terrorist attack in Europe since 2004. According to the US mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the aggression was probably committed to demonstrate “its ability to extend its influence beyond South Asia” and for “military intervention against the Islamic State in Syria,” in addition to “the relationship that Russia maintains with the Taliban.” The conditions of the protection of the anti-terrorist force activated the level Delta.
The better controlled migration flow during Donald Trump’s presidency shows that In four fiscal years, a total of 11 terrorists enteredwhile in the Biden administration they have crossed, so far, 362. In fiscal year 2023, Washington Examiner published that the Border Patrol captured more than 172 known or suspected terrorists who entered from Mexico or Canada.
[Espías chinos y jordanos: EEUU eleva el control fronterizo en el sur por los asaltos a bases militares]
After the operation carried out in three American cities, Ted Cruz posted on X that he was not surprised by what happened, because he saw it coming. For more than a year he has said that this “It is the most susceptible the United States has been to a terrorist attack since September 11, 2001.”, he said, making it clear that this was “a direct result of Joe Biden’s border policies.” The North American country lives in an informal state of protection ‘Bravo’applied when there is a greater or more foreseeable threat of terrorist activity.
Jack Tomarchio, former director of intelligence for the Department of Homeland Security, responded regarding the eight detained that it is possible that Federal authorities “will let them into the country to help guide security forces toward an even greater threat”quotes the Pennsylvania media ABC 6Tomarchio explained that there have been cases where they knew that individuals were planning something or were about to do something and it was important to “know who they were related to,” otherwise they would not have been able to stop them.
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