Exclusive: Intel report warns U.S. troops in Germany face “possible imminent” threat of attack

Last Update
19-Jan-2020
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News Week

The United States has received intelligence regarding a potentially imminent attack being planned against its military personnel stationed in Germany, according to an official memo seen by Newsweek.

The U.S.'s 66th Military Intelligence Brigade received what was described as "third party information stating there was an [sic] possible imminent attack against U.S. Soldiers located at either Tower Barracks in Grafenwohr or Tower Barracks, Dulmen, exact location, date and time unknown." Newsweek reviewed the information marked unclassified from a senior U.S. intelligence official.

(Newsweek sought guidance from former Pentagon officials in order to ensure this reporting would not put any U.S. personnel at risk.)

"The source of information stated the attack would be carried out by an unknown Jordanian extremist currently located in Germany near an unknown military base," the report continued. "The unknown Jordanian was described as a loyalist to the Jordanian kinglet and recently advocated killing U.S. soldiers in Germany."

Contacted by Newsweek, U.S. Army Europe confirmed that "a potential threat was identified and investigated last night."

"German and US officials were consulted and no imminent threat was found to exist," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We'd like to remind everyone to stay vigilant and be aware of their surroundings."

The phrase "kinglet" is sometimes used by critics as a derogatory term for Jordan's King Abdullah II, who has friendly relations with the United States and has voiced support for U.S. military operations in the region. The kingdom has previously been home to Sunni Islamist militants such as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who once headed Al-Qaeda in neighboring Iraq and was believed to be responsible for planning deadly hotel bombings in the capital Amman in 2005. He was killed by U.S. forces in 2006.

In November 2016, a Jordanian soldier killed three U.S. Army Special Forces outside the al-Jafr base in southern Jordan. First Sergeant Marik al-Tuwayha, the Jordanian soldier, pled not guilty but was sentenced to life in prison, according to The Associated Press.

First Sergeant al-Tuwayha has maintained that he thought the base was under attack when he opened fire and that he feels no animosity towards Americans.

The document seen by Newsweek regarding the latest threat was a "spot report." Spot reports are "preliminary reports on ambiguous circumstances, not fully evaluated information" and are "intended to alert commanders and staff to anomalies, potential terrorist indicators or other force protection issues," according to the document.

The official Facebook page for U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria issued a public warning Saturday about potential plots.

"Expect increased force protection measures at Tower Barracks and Rose Barracks," the post read. "The safety and security of our community and installations remain our top priority. Remain vigilant. If you see something, say something. If you observe suspicious activity in or around our installations or communities, report it immediately to the MPs or Polizei."

The garrison also announced "an increase in security measures" due to "recent world events" on January 4, a day after the U.S. assassinated Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

Both Tower Barracks, Grafenwohr, and Tower Barracks, Dulmen, remain at Force Protection Condition (FPCON) Level Bravo, the senior U.S. intelligence official told Newsweek. This "applies when an increased or more predictable threat of terrorist activity exists," according to a guideline published by the U.S. Army.

The next level would be FPCON Charlie, which "applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely." At this stage, "100% ID card check required."

Germany hosts more U.S. troops than any other European country, with some 38,600 deployed to facilities throughout the country. U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria, based in Grafenwohr, is among the largest U.S. military bases abroad.

The U.S. military presence in Germany was established after World War II and was expanded significantly throughout the Cold War. In recent decades the base has served as a hub for U.S. operations across the Middle East, Afghanistan and other parts of Asia.

This involvement has been the subject of some controversy in Germany, where anti-war organizations have protested the presence of the U.S. and other NATO Western military alliance members. U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria issued an alert Friday regarding a planned demonstration scheduled for the following day in Munich by a group called Coalition for Action Against NATO Security Conference, referring to the upcoming Munich Security Conference set for next month.

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