U.S. official: Terror plot in Germany 'very real threat'

[Until Shiloh Comes]

From CNN.com (Not a JTF recommended site for news)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. authorities have discovered a terrorist plot in the advanced stages of planning against U.S. facilities in Germany, a senior federal official told CNN on Friday.

But other officials from the United States and Germany were quick to say there was no new information beyond what had led the U.S. State Department to issue a "warden message" raising security at U.S. facilities three weeks ago.

A senior Pentagon official told CNN there is "nothing new." A spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Berlin and a spokesman for the German Interior Ministry also said they were not aware of a new threat beyond what had led to that message.

And Ulrich Sante, spokesman for the Germany Embassy in Washington, said, "The German government is not aware of any new imminent terrorist threat."

The senior federal official said the plot, which has been planned for some time, included the use of bombs and small arms against U.S. facilities -- possibly military facilities. The official called it a "very real threat" by an al Qaeda affiliate in Europe.

Other members of the intelligence community told CNN they felt the threat information was vague on timing.

The Department of Homeland Security issued a statement saying there was no credible intelligence to suggest an imminent threat on U.S. soil.

The State Department on April 20 sent out a warden message saying: "U.S. diplomatic and consular facilities in Germany are increasing their security posture. We are taking these steps in response to a heightened threat situation."

"They had a level of concern sufficient to cause them to issue the warden message," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday. Wardens are volunteers who help embassies quickly convey official information to U.S. citizens in foreign countries.

Asked about the reports of a terrorist plot being discovered, McCormack said: "I don't have anything new on that."

German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble told ABC: "The danger level is high. We are part of the global threat by Islamist terrorism."

U.S. air marshals are providing additional protection on flights between Germany and the United States, law enforcement officials told ABCNews.com.

Germany, which will host the G-8 Summit next month, has been engaged in a security crackdown in recent days. More than 900 people took part in anti-terror raids, resulting in more than 40 arrests.

CNN's Jeanne Meserve, Frederik Pleitgen
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/11/germany.security/index.html