Germany will be tougher in the fight against terrorism

(Baonghean) - After the terrorist attacks in France last week, it seems that the German government has begun to take stronger measures to prevent the wave of its citizens joining jihad. On Wednesday, January 14, the German government announced that those suspected of wanting to travel abroad to participate in Islamic jihad will have their German identity cards revoked.

Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on November 19. Photo: AP/Markus Schreiber

The German government announced Wednesday that it will strip the identity cards of anyone suspected of planning to join jihad abroad. The government said that authorities are drafting and passing a new law to allow this. A law has already been passed that would allow passports to be confiscated from suspects.

One question that has been raised is why are identity cards revoked and not other forms of identification? In fact, an identity card is the only document required to travel from the European Union to Türkiye. At a hearing before the German parliament, the government announced that more than 20 suspects whose passports had been revoked had used this route to join radical Islamist organizations. According to the Interior Ministry, most of the suspects fled to Turkey by land and then crossed the border into Syria, while others went to Belgium and the Netherlands to cause trouble.

If the law passes, suspects will be provided with a replacement ID card that is valid for three years. And with this type of ID, the travel ban will be recorded on the ID card.

However, the opposition party is skeptical about the effectiveness of the measure. Jan Korte, a political analyst at the left-wing Die Linke, points out that identity papers are used in many situations, such as subscribing to a phone plan, not just for travel. With the new ID cards, sales staff or delivery people would be able to report suspected terrorism. Mr Korte believes that this is a disproportionate measure.

Germany has been looking to beef up its anti-terrorism measures for months amid fears of attacks by Islamist militants on its soil. According to the Rheinische Post, a security source said that there are currently around 600 Germans fighting alongside jihadists in Syria, of whom around 180 are likely to return.

Earlier this month, the German government also discussed a plan to punish those preparing for jihad or transporting weapons, not just those returning from wars in the Middle East. The provisions of the law would target suspects who try to leave Germany, carry weapons, body armor, etc., and take appropriate measures.

Later this month, Justice Minister Helko Mass announced tougher penalties for financing terrorism, even for small amounts. The German government is currently debating whether to “mine” phone records, emails and Internet addresses for investigations.

Chu Thanh

(According to Le Monde January 15)