Newsweek magazine cited an unnamed source as saying on Sunday that the US had received intelligence about a “possible imminent attack” against American troops stationed in Germany.
The “third party information”, which was reportedly received by the US’ 66th Military Intelligence Brigade, specifically singled out servicemen based at either Tower Barracks in Grafenwohr or Tower Barracks in Dulmen as potential targets.
"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 unknown Jordanian was described as a loyalist to the Jordanian kinglet and recently advocated killing US soldiers in Germany”, the intelligence report asserted.
Newsweek explained in this context that critics sometimes use the word "kinglet" as a derogatory term for Jordan's King Abdullah II, who earlier signalled support for US military operations in the region.
In 2016, Jordanian soldier Sergeant Marik al-Tuwayha killed three US Army Special Forces outside the al-Jafr base in southern Jordan. He pled not guilty but was sentenced to life in prison.
The magazine also cited a US Army Europe spokesperson as confirming that “a potential threat was identified and investigated last night”.
“German and US officials were consulted and no imminent threat was found to exist. We'd like to remind everyone to stay vigilant and be aware of their surroundings”, the spokesperson warned.
A separate public warning was issued by US Army Garrison Bavaria on its official Facebook page in connection with “increased force protection measures at Tower Barracks and Rose Barracks”.
“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 police”, the post read.
Trump Considers Redeploying US Troops in Germany
With about 38,600 US servicemen deployed to facilities across Germany, the country hosts more US troops than any other European nation.
Last year, US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell criticised Berlin for failing to meet the NATO voluntary goal of 2% GDP spending on its military forces.
He praised US President Donald Trump’s idea to redeploy troops from Germany to Poland and insisted that it was time for Berlin to "pay for its own defence”.
Although Germany announced plans to increase military spending up to 1.35% in 2019 and hopes to boost the number up to 1.5% by 2023, it still falls short of planning to reach the 2% goal, set by NATO members in 2014.
