Suspicious package sent to Merkel
Source: Agencies |
November 3, 2010, Wednesday
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POLICE were investigating a suspicious package at German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office yesterday, hours after small mail bombs exploded outside the Russian and Swiss embassies in Athens in attacks blamed on far-left domestic extremists.
Greek police destroyed at least three more suspected bombs in Athens.
No group claimed responsibility for yesterday's attacks, which caused no injuries. No warning was given. No link has been made with the recently discovered Yemen-based mail bomb plot.
Greece has a vocal anarchist political fringe that opposes most forms of state authority. In recent decades, small radical anarchist or nihilist groups have staged attacks ranging from nighttime car burnings to bomb and gunfire attacks on symbols of state power and wealth.
Merkel was in Belgium when the package arrived in the mailroom of her office.
Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that it showed "marks that indicated the possibility of explosives" and police were alerted.
Explosives experts examined the package yesterday.
"It cannot be ruled out that the package contains explosives," Seibert said.
The chancellory was not evacuated. Several German media outlets cited unspecified official sources as saying the package was addressed to Merkel and that the Greek Economy Ministry was given as the return address.
The attacks in Greece began on Monday when a mail bomb addressed to the Mexican embassy exploded at a delivery service in central Athens, wounding one worker.
Authorities searched surrounding streets and arrested two suspects shortly after the blast. They were carrying mail bombs addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Belgian Embassy, along with handguns. Police detonated the bombs along with a fourth device addressed to the Dutch Embassy.
One of the suspects was wanted in connection with an investigation into a radical anarchist group known as Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire.
The men were charged with belonging to a terrorist group, acts of terrorism and causing explosions that endangered human lives. They were due to appear in court yesterday.
The explosions in Greece continued yesterday with the detonation of a bomb in a courtyard outside of the Swiss Embassy.
Soon after, a courier heading for another embassy became suspicious about a package and stopped at Parliament, where police explosives experts detonated a bomb.
Police found explosive devices at the Bulgarian Embassy and a central Athens courier company and set them off in controlled explosions. A fifth bomb went off on the grounds of the Russian Embassy.
Police believe the parcels that went off yesterday were posted the day before.
Greek police destroyed at least three more suspected bombs in Athens.
No group claimed responsibility for yesterday's attacks, which caused no injuries. No warning was given. No link has been made with the recently discovered Yemen-based mail bomb plot.
Greece has a vocal anarchist political fringe that opposes most forms of state authority. In recent decades, small radical anarchist or nihilist groups have staged attacks ranging from nighttime car burnings to bomb and gunfire attacks on symbols of state power and wealth.
Merkel was in Belgium when the package arrived in the mailroom of her office.
Merkel's spokesman, Steffen Seibert, said that it showed "marks that indicated the possibility of explosives" and police were alerted.
Explosives experts examined the package yesterday.
"It cannot be ruled out that the package contains explosives," Seibert said.
The chancellory was not evacuated. Several German media outlets cited unspecified official sources as saying the package was addressed to Merkel and that the Greek Economy Ministry was given as the return address.
The attacks in Greece began on Monday when a mail bomb addressed to the Mexican embassy exploded at a delivery service in central Athens, wounding one worker.
Authorities searched surrounding streets and arrested two suspects shortly after the blast. They were carrying mail bombs addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the Belgian Embassy, along with handguns. Police detonated the bombs along with a fourth device addressed to the Dutch Embassy.
One of the suspects was wanted in connection with an investigation into a radical anarchist group known as Conspiracy Nuclei of Fire.
The men were charged with belonging to a terrorist group, acts of terrorism and causing explosions that endangered human lives. They were due to appear in court yesterday.
The explosions in Greece continued yesterday with the detonation of a bomb in a courtyard outside of the Swiss Embassy.
Soon after, a courier heading for another embassy became suspicious about a package and stopped at Parliament, where police explosives experts detonated a bomb.
Police found explosive devices at the Bulgarian Embassy and a central Athens courier company and set them off in controlled explosions. A fifth bomb went off on the grounds of the Russian Embassy.
Police believe the parcels that went off yesterday were posted the day before.
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