Bomb sent to German bank was real, authorities say

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Frederik Pleitgen, CNN


Berlin (CNN) -- A suspicious package sent to the chief executive of Deutsche Bank in Germany contained a functioning bomb, law enforcement officials in the state of Hesse announced Thursday.

The package addressed to Josef Ackermann, the bank's top executive, in Frankfurt, Germany, was intercepted Wednesday, police in New York said earlier.

Criminal investigators in Germany are pursuing the case, they said in a statement Thursday.

The device, which contained shrapnel, was detected in the bank's mail room around 1 p.m. local time, said New York Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne.

It did not detonate.

"The return address was listed as a European central bank, which would likely increase the chances of him opening it," said Browne, who urged a general increase in mail room security.

"A suspicious letter was received today at Deutsche Bank, addressed to Dr. (Josef) Ackermann," bank spokesman Ronald Weichert said Wednesday. "In-house departments concerned alerted the police," who then launched an investigation.

Browne said the incident prompted New York authorities to increase security around Manhattan's Deutsche Bank offices.

[Arkady Renko]

I'm sorry, but after the third time they failed to provide me with a correct tax statement for my interest payments, I blew a fuse.

[Deepsepia]

I'm sorry, but after the third time they failed to provide me with a correct tax statement for my interest payments, I blew a fuse.

Kamerad Renko remembering the old days with Andreas and Ulrike?

Brings to mind that last I checked, the bomb/assasination of Alfred Herrhausen, the head of Deutsche Bank in 1989 never produced a conviction . . . though it may be because the guy who did was already dead (Wolfgang Grams)

Still, a big case to have no definitive conclusion.

The attack was sophisticated, defeating a lot of armor . . . not unlike the IEDs used in the middle East

[Arkady Renko]

Kamerad Renko remembering the old days with Andreas and Ulrike?

Brings to mind that last I checked, the bomb/assasination of Alfred Herrhausen, the head of Deutsche Bank in 1989 never produced a conviction . . . though it may be because the guy who did was already dead (Wolfgang Grams)

Still, a big case to have no definitive conclusion.

The attack was sophisticated, defeating a lot of armor . . . not unlike the IEDs used in the middle East

indeed, it may well be the biggest unsolved mystery in postwar german history. I suspect that the killers had considerable help from former GDR operatives or at least that they were trained in the GDR which allowed them to work ona whole new level of professionalism. to a lesser extent, the Rohwedder asassination is similarly puzzling.

[Deepsepia]

indeed, it may well be the biggest unsolved mystery in postwar german history. I suspect that the killers had considerable help from former GDR operatives or at least that they were trained in the GDR which allowed them to work ona whole new level of professionalism. to a lesser extent, the Rohwedder asassination is similarly puzzling.

interesting. I hadn't heard about a potential GDR link . . . that would have been very risky, had it come to light.

Did anything show up on this when the Stasi files were opened?

[Arkady Renko]

It's fairly well established that the east german stasi did hide and abet RAF members since the mid seventies. They also helped them travel to various middle eastern terrorist training camps and trade fairs, so in my book the suspicion that they might have taught them a few things themsleves is not exactly far fetched. Seeing how a lot of the senior officials with the Stasi were diehard communists who really believed they were fighting dirty for a noble cause, the demise of the GDR must have left a lot of dangerous bitter people.

[Deepsepia]

It's fairly well established that the east german stasi did hide and abet RAF members since the mid seventies. They also helped them travel to various middle eastern terrorist training camps and trade fairs, so in my book the suspicion that they might have taught them a few things themsleves is not exactly far fetched. Seeing how a lot of the senior officials with the Stasi were diehard communists who really believed they were fighting dirty for a noble cause, the demise of the GDR must have left a lot of dangerous bitter people.

Herrhausen was killed in 1989. This was precisely the time when the GDR was unravelling, no?

Interesting . . .

[Arkady Renko]

indeed. the rohwedder hit smells even more of Stasi though: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detlev_Karsten_Rohwedder he was the head of the public funds that managed the controlled bankruptcy and restructuring of GDR assets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treuhand

It seems plausible that a lot of hardboiled communists thought he was evil incarnate.