The United States military commander for forces in Europe raised the protection level for U.S. military bases and forces after President Joe Biden’s weak debate performance against former President Donald Trump.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said it was due to a “combination of factors and not related to a single threat.”
“This was done out of an abundance of caution. I won’t get into more specifics, other than that, but I’d refer you to [European Command] for any more questions that you have on force protection measures,” she said at a press conference on Monday.
She said she could not speak to the reasons behind the decision, but that the commander, Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli felt additional steps were needed to “increase vigilance for our service members, for their families.”
Trump Campaign Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday linked Biden’s doddering debate performance to an increased risk to the U.S.
“This past weekend, after the debate performance, U.S. military bases in Europe have been put on high alert for a credible terrorist threat. The world is taking advantage of our country because it sees how weak it is,” she said during an interview on Fox News.
According to military newspaper Stars and Stripes, the Stuttgart Army garrison issued a community-wide alert that the force protection level was elevated to condition “Charlie” until further notice, and similar directives were sent to bases in Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy.
The U.S. Army’s website explained that the Charlie threat level “applies when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely.”
Charlie is the second highest protection level, after Delta, which applies in “the immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is imminent.”
Troops in Italy were advised not to wear their uniforms to and from work, a source told military whistleblowers at Terminal CWO. The source said his or her command sent the following message:
Due to increase [sic] security posture, all transit to and from work in uniform is prohibited effective immediately and until further notice. This proactive measure is part of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all personnel, families, and assets. Personnel are advised to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities or behaviors to installation security immediately.
FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress in April about a heightened risk from a terrorist attack in the United States.
In written testimony, he said since Hamas’s attack in Israel on October 7, “we’ve seen a rogue’s gallery of foreign terrorist organizations call for attacks against Americans and our allies.”
“Given those calls for action, our most immediate concern has been that individuals or small groups will draw twisted inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks here at home,” he said.
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