Hamburg, Germany, Aug 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm
German police have assured that Pope Benedict XVI will be safe in Germany during his mid-September visit and that appropriate security measures have been taken.
"The Pope is safe in Germany," Joerg Ziercke, head of the Federal Criminal Office, was quoted as saying in German Sunday paper, Bild am Sonntag.
Ziercke’s confident statement comes three weeks after attempted train bombings on two trains in western Germany. Three suspects for the failed attacks have been detained.
German authorities are holding a Lebanese man and a Syrian in connection with the July 31 incident. A third suspect is in Lebanese detention. Investigators are still looking into the suspects' motives and affiliation.
"The current arrests mean that the danger has peaked," Ziercke said. He added that he doubts Islamic extremists would target the Pope.
Authorities say the attack failed only because the bombs, built according to a design found on the Internet and concealed in wheeled suitcases, failed to explode.
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