2 February 2011
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière on Tuesday ordered that the police presence in the country, beefed up due to terror concerns last November, be reduced. Still, he said, the risk of attack remains — leading German commentators to wonder whether such warnings are effective.
The security presence in Germany has been hard to ignore in recent months. Heavily armed police have been patrolling airports and train stations across the country, the center of Berlin has likewise seen increased numbers of officers toting machine guns and the government quarter in the heart of the city has been virtually closed off to pedestrians.
As of Tuesday, however, the increased security measures ordered by German Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière in November were a thing of the past. “Security officials have, on the basis of current analysis, come to the conclusion that a reduction of the … country-wide security measures … is possible.”
