The U.S. military’s central command in Stuttgart issued top-level warnings to military personnel in Germany, Bulgaria, and Romania over the weekend, warning soldiers to telework if possible and to wear civilian clothing when using public transport due to an undisclosed terror threat.
On Sunday, the official alert level was raised to the second highest level, or “Charlie,” with a potential attack thought to be “likely” against the 100,000 U.S. military personnel garrisoned across Europe. Military bases in Germany initiated the most intensive safety procedures to protect staff and buildings.
While military officials have not commented on the motivations for the new alert, U.S. army protocols dictate that a “Charlie” warning be issued only if “an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely.”
American soldiers stationed in Germany have had their access to outside the base restricted until further notice as part of the safety crackdown. U.S. officials have been on high alert for potential attacks on military and diplomatic installations in the wake of Hamas’ October 7th massacre in Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza.
Serbian police are still probing a wider terror network following a crossbow attack on the Israeli embassy in Belgrade on Saturday that left one assailant dead. French security forces are preparing for the potential of Islamist terror attacks for this month’s Olympics in Paris. Terrorism threats also plague the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen America’s military presence in Europe beefed up by an additional 20,000 troops since 2022, with one off-record officer telling CNN that it was the most serious threat the military had received in ten years, likely on the basis of a reliable tip-off.
The ongoing risk posed by homegrown Islamism as well as the risk of blowback from wars in Palestine and Ukraine have created a tense security situation in Europe. June saw Germany’s own terror level being raised on the back of Islamist terror attacks in Moscow as the country’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, warned that Germany was in the “crosshairs of jihadist organisations.”
American military installations in Germany have previously come under attack from Marxist guerilla group the Red Army Faction during the 1970s and 1980s. Two soldiers were murdered by a Kosovo-born jihadist in March 2011 at Frankfurt Airport. A June 2020 plot by an Islamist to carry out an attack on Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany was thwarted by German authorities.
