“The re-election of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September 2009 — seen as a good thing for the European Union — came with an al-Qaida warning.

An operative known as “Abu Talha the German” warned in a video message that “bitter times await the Germans” because the nation continues to support the war in Afghanistan. Merkel’s reelection likely means German forces will remain in Afghanistan.

However, the terror group’s threat to strike Germany will not influence the country’s democratic process, German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schäuble said in a story posted on Der Speigel Online. “We will not allow ourselves to fall into a state of anxiety, which is what the terrorists hope to achieve with attacks.”

Any terrorist attack on Germany will most likely be against “soft targets.” These are undefended or lightly guarded sites that are becoming the targets of choice for terrorist groups, reported Stratfor, a global intelligence company. Soft targets include churches, shopping centers, sports arenas, nightclubs, theaters, bars, restaurants and hotels where it may be easy to kill or injure a large number of people...”

Excerpt from per Concordiam Staff, “Soft Targets,” per Concordiam: Journal of European Security Defense Issues 1, No. 1, 2010: 52-53.

This article reflects the views of the author and are not necessarily the official policy of the United States, Germany, or any other governments.