According to Jakob Scharf, Director General of PET/Danish Security and Ingelligence Service, there is a general terror threat which is hightened during the World Cup this summer. And according to Danish daily Politiken, islamists linked to al-Quaeda had planned to make attacks on the Danish football (soccer) team during the World Cup in South Africa next month. With reference to the much publicized Danish cartoons in Jyllands-Posten. The specifics of that piece of information cannot be revealed and confirmed by PET:
'PET does not comment on concrete threats' - but 'The massive media attention during the World Cup in soccer could make the event an attractive target and draw militant islamists outside of South Africa. Therefore it is no surprise that, since April 2010, there have been several statements on militant islamist web pages, that encourage to an attack at the World Cup event an the participating countries. The re-printing of the Muhammed cartoons in February 2008 has led to an intensified focus on Denmark an Danish interests as a target for terror among leading militant islamists abroad,' Director General Jakob Scharf of PET states in a press release.
Bearing in mind the Munich massacre during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and murdered by members of Black September, a militant islamist group under Fatah. The event itself - the media debate afterwards concluded - was thought to be realized due to the huge media attention of major sports events, that are broadcasted worldwide. Sadly effective because it gives air time to the plotters. Paradoxically, sports, media and security issues are closely linked.
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