3 arrested in alleged plot on U.S. base

BERLIN – Three men have been arrested for planning attacks on the U.S. military base in Ramstein and Frankfurt’s international airport, a German broadcaster reported today.

Two of the suspects had German citizenship while the third was Pakistani, the Sudwestrundfunk public broadcaster said. It said the men were arrested Tuesday evening and were close to carrying out the attacks.

German law enforcement officials were not immediately available to comment on the report.

Thousands of U.S. servicemen and women are stationed with their families in Germany, which hosts key installations including the Ramstein Air Base, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center and Grafenwoehr training center in Bavaria.

The Ramstein base is in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate and serves as a major transport hub for the U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Frankfurt’s international airport is continental Europe’s busiest.

German and U.S. officials have warned of the possibility of a terrorist attack, and security measures have been raised, they said.

Germany has not experienced a major terrorist attack in recent years, but worries have risen since July 2006, when two suitcase bombs planted on passenger trains malfunctioned. Several suspects are on trial in Lebanon, and a Lebanese man has been charged in Germany.

Additionally, the leaders of the Sept. 11 terror attacks were based for a time in Hamburg.

German federal police in March said Germany faces an increased threat of terrorism because its military takes part in missions in Afghanistan and elsewhere.