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WORLD NEWS Friday 6 September 2024
Munich police fatally shoot a man they believe was planning to

attack the Israeli Consulate

By MATTHIAS SCHRADER Markus Söder said.
and GEIR MOULSON Munich police said there
Associated Press was no evidence of any
MUNICH (AP) — Police in more suspects connected
Munich exchanged fire to the shooting.
with a gunman near the In neighboring Austria’s Sal-
Israeli Consulate in Munich zburg province, police said
on Thursday, fatally wound- the suspected assailant, an
ing him. Authorities said Austrian with Bosnian roots,
they believe he was plan- had come to authorities’
ning to attack the consul- attention in February 2023.
ate on the anniversary of They said that, following a
the attack on the 1972 Mu- “dangerous threat” against
nich Olympics. fellow students coupled
No one else was hurt in the with bodily harm, he had
shootout shortly after 9 a.m. also been accused of in-
in an area near the consul- volvement in a terror orga-
ate and a museum on the nization.
city’s Nazi-era history. Of- There was a suspicion that
ficers had been alerted to he had become religiously
a person carrying a gun in radicalized, was active on-
the Karolinenplatz area, line in that context and was
near downtown Munich, interested in explosives and
and returned fire when he Police officers patrol after police fired shots at a suspicious person near the Israeli Consulate and weapons, a police state-
a museum on the city’s Nazi-era history in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024.
shot at them. The suspect, Associated Press ment said, but prosecutors
who was carrying an old closed an investigation in
long gun with a bayonet details on the suspect, who parks here within sight of Thursday was the 52nd April 2023.
attached to it, died at the left a car near the scene, the Israeli Consulate ... then anniversary of the attack However, authorities did is-
scene. except to say that he lived starts shooting, it most prob- by Palestinian militants on sue a ban on him owning
Five officers were at the in Austria. ably isn’t a coincidence.” the Israeli delegation at weapons until at least the
scene at the time the gun- “We have to assume that Prosecutors and police said the 1972 Munich Olym- beginning of 2028. Police
fire erupted. Police quickly an attack on the Israeli in a statement later Thurs- pics, which ended with the said he had not come to
deployed about 500 offi- Consulate possibly was day they currently believe death of 11 Israeli team their attention since.
cers to the area. planned early today,” the plan was for “a terrorist members, a West German Israel’s Foreign Ministry said
Police said the gunman Bavaria’s top security of- attack, also with respect to police officer and five of the consulate was closed
was an 18-year-old from ficial, state Interior Minister the consulate of the state the assailants. Thursday due to a memo-
Austria, but investigators Joachim Herrmann, told of Israel,” and that they are “There may be a connec- rial ceremony for the 1972
were still looking into his mo- reporters at the scene. “It’s still investigating the man’s tion that must be cleared attack and none of its staff
tive. They didn’t give further obvious that, if someone motive. up,” Bavarian governor was hurt. q

The Dutch government is ‘future-proofing’ its military in an

increasingly volatile world

By MIKE CORDER the white paper outlining fense White Paper we are Middle and Far East that frontation, China is under-
Associated Press the investments “the most taking the right steps to- are being addressed to mining the international le-
THE HAGUE, Netherlands ambitious military agenda ward a future-proofed mili- different degrees by allies gal order in a more indirect
(AP) — The Netherlands’ in modern Dutch history.” tary,” Tuinman said, as he throughout the alliance. but also more structural
defense ministry an- The major investments an stood alongside Defense “Where Russia seeks con- way,” it warned.q
nounced a major plan to extra 2.4 billion euros ($2.66 Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
“future-proof” the coun- billion) per year to bring NATO spokesperson Farah
try’s military on Thursday, annual defense budget Dakhlallah welcomed the
including buying more F-35 up to 24 billion euros ($266 announcement.
fighter jets and the return of billion) come weeks be- “In a more uncertain se-
a Dutch tank battalion as it fore former Dutch Prime curity environment, this is
gears up to face a world of Minister Mark Rutte takes an important step for the
expanding threats. over as NATO chief. The Netherlands and NATO’s
The Netherlands and other funding boost should en- deterrence and defence.
members of the NATO mili- sure the Dutch government 23 Allies currently meet or
tary alliance have been remains above the military exceed the 2% defence
looking with new urgency alliance’s goal of member spending guideline and
at how to boost their mili- states spending at least 2% defence spending is on an
taries since Russia’s inva- of GDP on defense. Dutch upward trajectory across
sion of Ukraine triggered a military spending this year the Alliance,” Dakhlallah
full-scale war on Europe’s already was expected to said. Incoming Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans arrives to be sworn
eastern flank. exceed the 2% target. The plan outlined risks to in at royal palace Huis ten Bosch in The Hague, Netherlands,
Gijs Tuinman, the state sec- “The minister and I are con- Dutch and NATO security Tuesday, July 2, 2024.
retary for defense, called vinced that with this De- from eastern Europe to the Associated Press