Germany: US published travel alert following bar-brawl

Germany: US published travel alert following bar-brawl

Apparently Obama's new approach to the Muslim world had not yet trickled down to the US emabassy in Germany.

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The United States Embassy in Germany published a travel advisory for all American citizens, warning them to refrain from travel and going out in the Garmisch-Partenkirchen region during the July 4th weekend (see here).  According to the advisory, it is "based on reports that a German group may seek retaliation against U.S. citizens in Garmisch-Partenkirchen for a recent incident at a local nightclub involving U.S. service members and German nationals".

According to the Münchner Merkur, the security advisory follows a relatively harmless incident in front of the Garmischer club.  According to the police, on June 27 a civilian employee of the US Army and person born in Turkey were involved in a fight in front of the club.  Several people were injured as a result.  The German-Turk involved threatened the American that he'll come back with friends in the next few days and take revenge.

A spokesperson for the Rosenheim police said that after interrogating the accused, they only saw it as threats.  There is no concrete evidence that a German group would retaliate, as the US advisory says, though the police say they're not taking things lightly and will keep watch.

Germany security forces saw this as regular bar-fight, but the US authorities completely misunderstood it.  According to the Germans, before they could prevent it, the Americans already pressed the alarm button.  Because it was just before the American Independence Day and because it's near the George C. Marshall Center, the US services were alerted.

The German security services stress that this incident was unnecessarily made into a regional incident.

This advisory is not related to the warning by the German federal government that Islamist extremists might commit terror attacks before the federal elections.

Source: Münchner Merkur 1, 2 (German), h/t Editrix (English)

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