Germany Openly Warns of Terror Threat

[WBU ALUM]

Don't know what Spiegel's reputation is as a news source, but I found this article interesting.

Germany Openly Warns of Terror Threat

[BobHelm]

Der Spiegel is a well established German newspaper WBU - I imagine this is their Internet Arm (same as BBC etc.).
Some critics of it complain it is to the right of politics in Europe & there have been claims that they have had dealings with former SS officers in the past (it was not established until after the last World War)
There is quite a large Muslim community in Germany, however I thought the majority from Turkey rather than North Africa.
Riots, attributed to racial tensions (although probably equally to do with economics) have sprung up in various German cities from time to time...

[WBU ALUM]

Der Spiegel is a well established German newspaper WBU - I imagine this is their Internet Arm (same as BBC etc.).
Some critics of it complain it is to the right of politics in Europe & there have been claims that they have had dealings with former SS officers in the past (it was not established until after the last World War)
There is quite a large Muslim community in Germany, however I thought the majority from Turkey rather than North Africa.
Riots, attributed to racial tensions (although probably equally to do with economics) have sprung up in various German cities from time to time...

Thanks for the head's up, Bob.

[Michael C]

By American and maybe even British standards, Der Spiegel would actually be viewed as left-centre; although, it does have an overall good reputation. It is the first source that I check for news in the mornings, along with Die Welt, Süddeutsche Zeitung and Deutsche Welle (radio). Bild would be an example of a more right-centre paper in its present form. To find something along the hard line to the right, like Fox News, one would have to look at the National Zeitung.

In the story, they tie Germany's involvement in Afghanistan to threats of terrorism, which is becoming a more common theme in Germany. The German Bundeswehr involvement in Afghanistan is nearly universally unpopular in Germany and most Germans rightfully do not think the Bundeswehr should be involved. Germany traditionally has had generally good relations with the Arab/Muslim world, having not been involved in colonising of or aggression in Arab lands, unlike the UK and US. Most of Germany's past problems with terrorism were because of the Rote Armee Fraktion.

[BobHelm]

By American and maybe even British standards, Der Spiegel would actually be viewed as left-centre.

I think not Michael - unless you have a VERY different view of British politics than me....

With Stefan Aust taking over in 1994, the magazine's political stance is said to have drifted towards the right. Some argue its position had changed from being critical, but supportive towards the red-Green government to a "neo-liberal", "Thatcherist" stance

[Michael C]

That is why I wrote the "maybe" when I wrote "By American and maybe even British standards". Der Spiegel is said in Wikipedia to have drifted to the right, but if you look at their coverage of the far right in German politics, such as Die Republikaner (the Republicans) or Nationaldemokratisch Partei Deutschland (NPD-National Democratic Party of Germany), you will find their coverage very negative. You will not find similar negative coverage with Die Linke (The Left Party), a party that claims they are not communists, but have a parallel political platform. I think few Germans would look at Der Spiegel as being to the right, centre maybe, but not right.

I do agree with you that they are similar to the BBC in the UK, but I have to admit that I like the BBC more than any of the American or German news organisations, since the BBC World Service kept me better informed during military deployments and operations than anyone. I have also found the BBC to tell it more like it is than others.

With Stefan Aust taking over in 1994, the magazine's political stance is said to have drifted towards the right. Some argue its position had changed from being critical, but supportive towards the red-Green government to a "neo-liberal", "Thatcherist" stance

This is a dealing in opposites a bit: it states that it drifted towards the right, then states some would argue its position had changed from being critical, but supportive of the red-green government (meaning: critical but supportive of a red(socialist)/green(environmentalist) government) to a "neo-liberal", "Thatcherist" stance.

I never knew that Thatcher was a 'neo-liberal', but that is yet another case of opposites together in Wikipedia's description of Der Spiegel.