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Germany Proposes Tougher Measures to Combat Terrorism Germany Proposes Tougher Measures to Combat Terrorism
(about 3 hours later)
ROSTOCK, Germany — After two attacks by terrorists pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and a deadly shooting rampage in Munich, Germany’s interior minister proposed a wide range of measures to bolster security on Thursday, including closer monitoring of refugees, enhanced cybersurveillance, the hiring of more federal police officers and making it a crime to express sympathy for terrorism. BERLIN — The German government proposed a broad range of measures on Thursday to bolster security and combat terrorism, its strongest official response so far to two recent attacks by terrorists pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and a deadly shooting rampage in Munich.
The proposals, announced in Berlin by the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, also called for greater sharing of intelligence data across Europe; a closer watch on the “dark web,” the part of the internet that is invisible to ordinary users; stripping the German citizenship of dual citizens who fight for extremist groups; and making it easier to deport foreigners deemed to be dangerous. Many of the measures, which include closer monitoring of refugees and enhanced surveillance, seem likely to win legislative approval but prompted concerns in a country that is deeply protective of privacy and civil liberties.
The proposals to strengthen the federal government’s intelligence-gathering powers are likely to be particularly fraught for a country where the legacies of Nazi and Communist control left a deep suspicion of official surveillance on citizens, and where the powers of the central government remain limited because of the history of totalitarian control. The package of proposals is the most comprehensive from the German government since Europe became a consistent target of terrorist attacks by the Islamic State, other radical groups and their followers. They were unveiled at a time when Chancellor Angela Merkel is facing accusations that the welcome she gave last year to migrants streaming to the Continent from Syria and other nations in the Middle East has compromised security.
But Mr. de Maizière emphasized that “we must change” in the face of new threats, by demonstrating enhanced vigilance, deploying new technologies and even, in some cases, overriding the country’s strong post-World War II concerns about privacy. The German plan, and the response to it, reflected a broader tension throughout the West over how to balance steps toward combating terrorism against civil liberties and political realities in the midst of a resurgence in populism, nationalism and anti-immigration sentiment.
Mr. de Maizière said he wanted to install sophisticated video equipment in 20 important railroad stations, and to improve the sharing of surveillance footage among law enforcement agencies, saying that the shooting rampage in Munich, at a shopping mall, showed that public spaces were potential “soft targets” for terrorists. Last year, 1.1 million foreigners migrated to Germany — a record — and the country received 442,000 asylum applications. Ms. Merkel, who faces national elections next year, has insisted that Germany can successfully assimilate the newcomers, but the recent attacks have strained the coalition government she leads.
The Munich rampage was the work of a teenager, Ali Sonboly, who had been in psychiatric treatment and was fascinated by previous mass shootings. Despite the lack of a terrorist link, the rampage engendered widespread panic. Nine people were killed, most of them teenagers. The pistol, a Glock 17, was a former theater weapon, apparently bought on the internet, that had been restored to be able to shoot live rounds. Mr. de Maizière proposed much tighter European regulations to register such weapons conversions and to crack down on internet arms sales. With elections in two states in September and the national election next year, Ms. Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats and their coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats, are worried that the populist, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party could make strong gains.
The proposals announced on Thursday by the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, call for the hiring of more federal police officers; making it a crime to express sympathy for terrorism; greater sharing of intelligence data across Europe; a closer watch on the “dark web,” the part of the internet that is invisible to ordinary users; stripping dual citizens of their German citizenship if they fight for extremist groups; and making it easier to deport foreigners deemed to be dangerous.
The proposals to strengthen the federal government’s intelligence-gathering powers are particularly fraught for a country where the legacies of Nazi and Communist control have left a deep suspicion of centralized authority and official surveillance, and where the powers of the central government remain limited because of the history of totalitarian control.
Ralf Stegner, a leading Social Democrat, said that the proposals were the clear result of “public pressure in the last few weeks,” which made terrorism more a reality than an abstraction.
In a phone interview, Mr. Stegner said his party supported hiring additional police, upgrading technology, investigating the dark web and improving cooperation with other European countries, but was more skeptical of a proposal by Mr. de Maizière to restrict certain rights of migrants whose asylum applications have been denied but who cannot easily be deported.
Mr. Stegner noted that France — despite a state of emergency in place since terrorist attacks in and around Paris last November — has not managed to halt further attacks, and that “the mood there, and the situation, are quite different” from Germany.
In announcing the measures, Mr. de Maizière emphasized that Germany “must change” in the face of new threats, by demonstrating enhanced vigilance, deploying new technologies and even, in some cases, overriding the country’s strong post-World War II concerns about privacy.
He said he wanted to install sophisticated video equipment in about 20 significant railroad stations, and to improve the sharing of surveillance footage among law enforcement agencies, adding that the shooting rampage in Munich, at a shopping mall, showed that public spaces were potential “soft targets” for terrorists.
The Munich rampage, which killed nine people, was the work of a teenager, Ali Sonboly, who had been in psychiatric treatment and was fascinated by previous mass shootings. The pistol he used, a Glock 17, was a former theater weapon, apparently bought on the internet, that had been restored to be able to shoot live rounds.
Mr. de Maizière proposed much tighter European regulations to register such weapon conversions and to crack down on internet arms sales.
Similarly, his proposals to monitor newly arrived refugees and people susceptible to radicalization seemed aimed at preventing terrorist attacks like the two perpetrated by Islamic State adherents last month.Similarly, his proposals to monitor newly arrived refugees and people susceptible to radicalization seemed aimed at preventing terrorist attacks like the two perpetrated by Islamic State adherents last month.
The first, on July 18, was carried out by a person identified only as a 17-year-old Afghan who was living with a foster family in Bavaria. He wounded four people on a train with an ax and a knife before attacking a woman walking her dog; he was later shot by the police. The first, on July 18, was carried out by a person identified only as a 17-year-old Afghan who was living with a foster family in Bavaria. He wounded four people on a train with an ax and a knife, and then attacked a woman walking her dog; he was later shot by the police.
Six days later, in Germany’s first Islamist suicide attack, a 27-year-old Syrian blew himself up outside a music festival in the Bavarian town of Ansbach and wounded 15. The authorities had previously ordered him deported, and, on Thursday, Mr. de Maizière announced further measures to make it easier to deport foreign criminals.Six days later, in Germany’s first Islamist suicide attack, a 27-year-old Syrian blew himself up outside a music festival in the Bavarian town of Ansbach and wounded 15. The authorities had previously ordered him deported, and, on Thursday, Mr. de Maizière announced further measures to make it easier to deport foreign criminals.
“Nobody can guarantee absolute security,” Mr. de Maizière said in announcing the new steps. “But we must do everything in our power” to try to ensure safety. “Nobody can guarantee absolute security,” Mr. de Maizière said in announcing the new measures. “But we must do everything in our power” to try to ensure safety.
“One thing is sure,” he added. “Our country will not respond to the violence of the perpetrators with hate and division. We will not allow the terrorists that triumph.” “One thing is sure,” he added, “our country will not respond to the violence of the perpetrators with hate and division. We will not allow the terrorists that triumph.”
Mr. de Maizière reiterated concerns previously voiced off the record by senior intelligence officials that Germany — and Europe — does not always know enough about all the refugees who streamed into the Continent last year. Mr. de Maizière reiterated publicly concerns previously voiced privately by senior intelligence officials that Germany — and Europe — does not always know enough about all the refugees who streamed into the Continent last year.
He noted that the recent decision to register air travelers in and out of Europe was an improvement, and he urged that all of Germany’s federal and state law enforcement and intelligence officials should have access to that information. “We see in recent months that these offices must know exactly who is coming to Europe, and who is leaving it,” he said.He noted that the recent decision to register air travelers in and out of Europe was an improvement, and he urged that all of Germany’s federal and state law enforcement and intelligence officials should have access to that information. “We see in recent months that these offices must know exactly who is coming to Europe, and who is leaving it,” he said.
Other measures he proposed included following the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden in combing public social media usage by refugees and others admitted to the country. Other measures he proposed included combing the social media profiles of refugees and other migrants to look out for signs of radicalization, as the authorities in the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have done.
Without giving further details, Mr. de Maizière said a recent bomb threat at a shopping mall in Dortmund could have yielded more information if data protection officials had not curbed the use of video surveillance there. In a statement, Mr. de Maizière said that officials could have gleaned more information after a bomb threat at a shopping mall in Dortmund if officials had had access to video surveillance footage, which he said had been restricted by data protection officials. “Overall, we must extend and optimize our use of I.T.” he said, referring to information technology.
“Over all, we must extend and optimize our use of I.T.,” Mr. de Maizière said. Mr. de Maizière said that the government had approved adding 4,600 security jobs, 3,250 of them in the federal police force, which, under the structure largely set up by the Allies after World War II, has traditionally taken a back seat to the police in the country’s 16 states.
He noted that the government had approved adding 4,600 security jobs, 3,250 of them in the federal police force, which, under the structure largely set up by the Allies after World War II, has traditionally taken a back seat to the police in each of the country’s 16 states.
The government will monitor whether more police officers are needed beyond the current expansion, Mr. de Maizière said.The government will monitor whether more police officers are needed beyond the current expansion, Mr. de Maizière said.
One proposal that has already prompted criticism was what Mr. de Maizière suggested might amount to a relaxation of medical confidentiality: allowing doctors to inform the authorities if they suspected patients of potentially committing violent acts. The German press had speculated that the government would propose punishing doctors who failed to inform the authorities if they suspected patients of potentially committing violent acts. But patient confidentiality is taken very seriously in Germany, given the involvement of doctors in the crimes of the Nazi era; doctors can be punished for breaching patient privacy, with certain exceptions.
Immediate objections were voiced by leading Social Democrats, the center-left partners in the government coalition that unites them with the Christian Democrats of Chancellor Angela Merkel and Mr. de Maizière. Mr. de Maizière said on Thursday that the government would not change the principle of protecting patients, but he urged doctors to contact the government if they believe a patient is dangerous or about to commit a crime. Dr. Frank Ulrich Montgomery, the president of the German Medical Association, said in a statement that he was relieved “that medical confidentiality is not to be called into question,” and said that doctors welcomed discussions with the government on how to improve information sharing.
In Germany, doctors can face a fine or up to a year in prison for breaching patient confidentiality, though existing rules allow them to do so “to safeguard a higher-ranking legally protected interest.” Mr. de Maizière also rejected as “constitutionally problematic” other ideas that some conservative lawmakers have floated, including a ban on burqas.
Whether the authorities succeed in increasing deportations has also been questioned. Mr. de Maizière said he envisioned declaring unwanted foreigners a threat to the public order and jailing them.
“It is also time at long last to make expressing sympathy for terrorism punishable by law,” he said.
In addition to the measures announced on Thursday, some members of Ms. Merkel’s conservative bloc have called for steps such as a ban on burqas.
Mr. de Maizière suggested that such a ban was “constitutionally problematic,” and thus unlikely. “You can’t ban everything that you reject,” he said.