Europe On Edge Over Dortmund Bombing

Paul wrote last night about an apparent terrorist attack on a bus that was driving the Borussia Dortmund soccer team to a quarterfinal European Champions League soccer match against Monaco. Three pipe bombs were placed along the bus’s route, loaded with projectiles to kill and maim as many people as possible. The bombs went off, but miraculously no one was killed, and only one Dortmund player was injured.

German authorities have now concluded that the bombing was Islamic terrorism:

German state prosecutors on Wednesday said they assume the attack on the Borussia Dortmund bus had a “terrorist motive.”

“We found several letters of responsibility. One of them suggested a possible Islamist motive. Another demands the withdrawal of German military in Syria and the closure of the US facility at Ramstein,” said Frauke Köhler, a spokeswoman for the federal prosecutor’s office.

“We currently have two suspects from the Islamist milieu. One of the two has been arrested,” she added. Police noted that metal rods had been placed in the explosives to cause significant harm.

One of the letters found near the bomb site begins by invoking Allah:

Further reports indicated that a note found near the explosives began “in the name of Allah, the merciful,” and that investigators were looking into possible Islamist connections.

As noted above, it complained about the use of German aircraft in Syria and the existence of the U.S. air base at Ramstein.

The Dortmund match was postponed for one day, and then played. For reasons that most of us find unaccountable, soccer is very popular in Europe. The Dortmund bombing has generated a lot of nice stories about European unity. Meanwhile, security is being stepped up at Champions League games. Even (or especially) the mighty Manchester United team is affected:

Manchester United will brave Europe’s terror capital amid huge security following an ISIS threat to kill footballers and celebrities.

A letter left at the scene of Tuesday’s triple bomb attack on Borussia Dortmund’s team bus warned “crusader” sports idols and celebs are now on a death list.
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Armed police will shadow Manchester United’s team bus on Brussels streets — supported by snipers and helicopters.
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Brussels became notorious as the nerve centre of the terrorists’ European network after cells based there launched attacks in the city and in Paris, which killed 162.

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Brussels was formerly known as one of the world’s most placid cities. No longer.

Security teams have already been seen carrying out special bomb checks on United’s coach in recent weeks.

And the vehicle will be shielded by unprecedented rings of security as it heads for tonight’s tie at the 26,000-seater Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.

Terrorism directed against soccer teams hits Europeans where they live. It will be interesting to see whether ISIS-allied terrorists carry out further attacks like the one against the Dortmund team.

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