The anti-terrorist unit of the Federal Police, GSG 9 (Border Guard Group 9), is to be enlarged by a third and get a second location in Berlin. That said the commander of the unit, Jerome Fuchs. Reason for the second location in the capital was the persistent terrorist threat there. “If you look at comparable terrorist situations across Europe, then it was often capital cities that were affected. It is essential that we are better prepared in the capital. Our aim is clear: GSG9 needs to be capable of quicker reactions in the capital” said Fuchs. The group is expected to be stationed in Berlin-Spandau. It was “the big challenge for the unit to get the right junior”, Fuchs said. Only police officers could apply. Rolf Tophoven, the veteran counter-terrorism expert who wrote the first book on GSG9 in 1977, said the move to Berlin was “overdue”. “It’s very important to have the strong presence of an anti-terror unit in the capital”, he told DW. “According to the German security forces, the terrorist situation has not become less dangerous, despite the military defeat of ‘Islamic State’ – on the contrary it could have become more dangerous”, he added. “The other point is that a few things are coming to a head in organized crime, and for that it is important to have a powerful unit”. The Border Guard Group 9, was founded in 1972 after the attack by Palestinian terrorists on Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games in Munich. The purpose of the special unit is the fight against the most serious and organized crime as well as terrorism.
