May 3, 2006
Roy Kammerer, Associated Press

BERLIN — Iran fears its soccer team could be the target of a terrorism during the World Cup.

Iranian officials are worried that dissident groups opposed to president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his regime, such as the People's Mujahadeen, could become violent during the tournament, which runs from June 9 to July 9.

"They have told us they believe their team could be the victim of a terrorist attack," German Interior Ministry spokesman Christian Sachs said Wednesday. "We have no indication anything is planned, but we take this very seriously."

The three other teams causing the most security concerns are Saudi Arabia — also afraid of anti-government groups — and the United States and England, because of their alliance during the Iraq war.

"I have great hope the World Cup will go off without harm," Deputy Interior Minister August Hanning said. "We can't rule out surprises, but we have taken every precaution."

Michael P. Jackson, deputy secretary of the United States Department of Homeland Security, said he had "every reason to believe" that Germany was taking "prudent measures" ahead of the tournament.

If asked to do so, Jackson said the United States would "be open to doing what would be most helpful" to assist Germany on the security front. However, this would likely be in the area of technical assistance and not in the form of law enforcement officers, he added.

Jackson made his comments during a briefing with reporters at the U.S. embassy in Vienna ahead of several days of meetings on security issues hosted by Austria, which currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency.

Exactly how many police officers or security personnel will be used at games is hard to determine because the nine German states where matches will be played are responsible for their own security.

The 32 teams at the tournament will send a combined 500 law-enforcement officers from their own countries, with 300 more coming from the European Union. England leads with 40 officers, who will act as "spotters" and report on any hooligans they recognize from home.

Prostitution has also been in the spotlight because it is legal in Germany, where it is argued that women are better protected from pimps and disease.

Large TV screens all across Germany will broadcast games and there are concerns that hooligans or terrorists will target them. But the German states have recently adopted tight controls — assigning them police officers and requiring fencing, backpack checks and security guards — at the public viewing areas.

While Iranian dissident group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, has vowed to demonstrate in the unlikely prospect of Ahmadinejad coming to Germany.

"We have no indication the Iranian president plans to come," Hanning said. "From past tournaments, we have noticed that heads of state and other officials get more interested with their team's success. The further they advance, the more requests we get."