Terror threat

Germany's national security breakdown, which failed to prevent terror attack, spurs debate

Germany, still reeling from its first large-scale radical Islamist terrorist attack, is now embroiled in a heated debate over the failures of its system of national security and the effectiveness of its counterterrorism measures.

This debate could impact the German national elections in September.

On December 19, Anis Amri, a Tunisian, drove a trailer truck into a crowded Berlin Christmas market in a terrorist attack that killed 12 people and wounded 53. Amri, a supporter of the Islamic State (ISIS), had been on a terrorist watch list in North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), the most populous of Germany’s 16 states, but was removed when officials found no proof he was planning an attack.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has criticized NRW for its ineffective security controls and a reluctance to introduce laws that allow for “stop and search.” She has also pointed out that some states like NRW and Berlin don’t have laws allowing authorities to monitor potential threats.