Terrorism warning in Austria increased to second highest level
Due to the recent escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and the terrorist attack in Brussels, security officials see a "concrete threat situation and increased risk of attack" in Austria as well. The terrorism alert will therefore be raised to the second highest level, as Interior Minister Gerhard Karner… Austria has increased its terrorism alert to the second highest level due to the recent escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and the terrorist attack in Brussels. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced that the “increased” alert level has been in effect since March 2022. The decision was justified by a recent attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, in which hundreds of people died. The Ministry of Defense is currently assisting the police with 100 soldiers to protect 20 embassies, and it is now planned to add 90 soldiers specifically to protect Jewish institutions. The Greens welcomed the Council of Ministers' decision to provide additional protection for Jewish institutions, while opposition parties SPÖ, SP�Ö and NEOS have called for an “immediate meeting of the permanent subcommittee of internal internal affairs.
Published : 2 years ago by Joseph in General
Due to the recent escalation of conflicts in the Middle East and the terrorist attack in Brussels, security officials see a “concrete threat situation and increased risk of attack” in Austria as well. The terrorism alert will therefore be raised to the second highest level, as Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) announced on Wednesday. In Austria, the “increased” alert level has been in effect since March 2022.
The latest increase occurred after the terrorist attack in Vienna city center on November 2, 2020, which left four people dead. “The assessment of the current situation by the intelligence services has shown that the alert level has now been increased, that is, to the highest alert level,” Karner said at a joint press conference with the head of state, Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP). said. security Omar Haijawi-Pirchner and Vienna Military commander Kurt Wagner.
The decision was justified by a recent attack on a hospital in the Gaza Strip, in which hundreds of people died. Haijawi-Pirchner explained that this attack could lead to “further dissemination of extremist propaganda” and “radicalization of those at risk.” However, he emphasized that there is no concrete risk of attack at the moment. Due to the situation in the Middle East, we see “the risk of individual perpetrators” who could create a “triggering effect”.
Karner also announced increased visibility in front of Jewish institutions. The minister emphasized that this was at the request of the Jewish community, which wanted such a presence. Many Jews are “scared” right now and children are not going to school.
Greater use is made of the forces of the Federal Army to provide protection. The Ministry of Defense is currently assisting the police with 100 soldiers to protect 20 embassies. It is now planned to add 90 soldiers specifically to protect Jewish institutions. “There should be no place for terrorism and fear in our country,” Tanner emphasized.
According to the minister, auxiliary soldiers “will be provided primarily by the military police.” Military commander Wagner said they would effectively have the same powers as regular police officers. Their job is to prevent danger. Protection will start this week. Details were not disclosed for tactical reasons. The aid distribution, which currently covers 190 soldiers and was initially limited to the end of November, was decided by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.
Karner and Tanner also announced the establishment of a “counterterrorism center” that would consist of representatives from the two armed forces secret services, the Army Intelligence Agency (HNA) and the Army Defense Agency (HAA), as well as the Headquarters. For State Security and Intelligence (DSN) and at the Ministry of Internal Affairs will meet around the clock. “We are combining the high level of expertise of our three services for the sake of Austria’s security,” said Tanner.
Karner was cautious when asked whether the increased level of terrorism alert would also affect how police deal with anti-Israel demonstrations. In response to a question, Karner said any decision to ban would be made by state police agencies “taking into account intelligence assessments.” Haijawi-Pirchner was also asked whether open days in government institutions such as the presidential office, parliament or ministries could be canceled during the national holiday. “We will look at each event and each property individually,” he said. The senior state security official said he would not comment specifically for tactical reasons “because it would give our counterpart better options.”
The Greens, who hold the joint management, welcomed the Council of Ministers’ decision to provide additional protection for Jewish institutions. “The deployment of military police and elite units of the Austrian Armed Forces in front of Jewish institutions sends a clear signal for security and solidarity,” the Greens’ defense spokesman David Stögmüller emphasized in a release.
As a result of the decision, opposition parties SPÖ, FPÖ and NEOS called for an “immediate meeting of the permanent subcommittee on internal affairs” in the National Council. Security spokesmen for the three parties, Reinhold Einwallner, Hannes Amesbauer and Stephanie Krisper, demanded that Karner and Tanner should share the intelligence services’ assessment of the situation there. “The safety of Austrians comes first, the opposition must be informed immediately of dangerous developments,” one broadcast said. The FPÖ evaluated the increase in terrorism levels as “a result of years of illegal mass immigration from Islamic countries.” “Due to the deadly immigration policy of the ÖVP, SPÖ and the Greens, the threat of terrorism and anti-Semitism has entered the country on a massive scale,” security spokesman Amesbauer and defense spokesman Volker Reifenberger said in a release.
Topics: Crime, Terrorism