Germany: Raises threat level from low to elevated

Berlin, July 18 (KUNA) -- German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt warned on Saturday of an increased risk of terrorist attacks in Germany, announcing that the country’s threat level had been raised from “general” to “high.” In an interview with the newspaper Welt am Sonntag, Dobrindt said that “Germany is now facing a real risk of attacks at any time, and plans to target it have become clear, whether against infrastructure or against individuals and institutions.” He called for “reform of Germany’s intelligence agencies and granting them broader powers, so that their role is not limited to collecting and analyzing information but also allows for direct intervention in cases of danger, such as entering and searching homes when police cannot arrive in time.” The German interior minister stressed that “the separation between the tasks of the intelligence services and the police will remain in place, and the arrest of individuals will remain the exclusive responsibility of the police.” It is worth noting that the German government is scheduled to discuss on August 13 a comprehensive reform of the “Intelligence Services Act,” which includes expanding the agencies’ powers while subjecting them to oversight by an independent council. (End) E.N.J./A.B.K.