German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned certain states still lack the necessary anti-terror laws. She criticized North Rhine-Westphalia in particular, where the Borussia Dortmund football team was attacked this week.
"Unfortunately, we still see differing kinds of laws in individual states," Merkel told the Funke media group.
Merkel called out Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), for its supposedly lackluster security controls and reluctance to introduce stop and search laws.
Merkel also pointed out that some states, such as Berlin and NRW, don't provide a legal framework for authorities to monitor potential threats.
Everything under control?
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The chancellor stressed that it was important for states to strengthen their security laws on the back of receiving a funding boost from the central government in Berlin.
"We know that we are under threat, just like many other countries," Merkel said. "We have to do all we can to guarantee our citizens' protection within a free society, and ensure close coordination between the federal and state level.
NRW's security apparatus has been the subject of scrutiny this week after the Borussia Dortmund football team was targeted ahead of the Champions League quarterfinal tie against Monaco on Tuesday.
Dortmund bus explosion: What we know
Three explosions occured near the Borussia Dortmund soccer team's bus as they made their way to the stadium for a Champions League match. Much remains unclear, here are the facts as we have them.
Image: Getty Images/M. Hitij
Triple blast
Three explosions occured near Borussia Dortmund's team bus on the way to their stadium for a Champions League match against AS Monaco. Police have said that the explosives were placed on the street, in a location where the bus would have been forced to slow down. Some media reports have said that the bombs were made from homemade materials.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Images/M. Meissner
Mysterious letter
Prosecutors have said that a note was found near the bombs claiming responsibility for the attack. This led police to confirm that the incident was indeed a "premeditated attack." Later, German media reported that federal prosecutors had taken over the case. This usually indicates suspicion of terrorism or a similarly serious crime.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. Thissen
Multiple injuries
Dortmund defender Marc Bartra was injured by flying glass and taken to the hospital. A police officer who was nearby on his motorcycle was also hurt. The bus was badly damaged.
Image: picture-alliance
Fans receive praise
Fans were told to wait inside the stadium until the situation was cleared. The game was then postponed, and will be played Wednesday instead with heightened security. Police praised fans for their calm response.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/D. Mouhtaropoulos
Pulling together
The rearranged fixture will be a "huge challenge," according to CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, who added that the players were professional enough to do the job. "The whole team is in a state of shock, you can't get pictures like that out of your head," he said. "I hope the team will be in a position to be able to compete tomorrow on the pitch. In a crisis situation like this, Borussia pulls together."
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Fassbender
Heightened security
Both teams will receive extra personal security for Wednesday's game, as there is some speculation the attack was carried out to hurt Dortmund's chances. Prosecutors have said they are seeking suspects on attempted murder charges.
Image: picture-alliance/AA/I. Fassbender
What we don't know
Although police said they found a note by the explosives, they have not made public its contents, so a motive remains unclear. However, German media claimed that it said "in the name of Allah, the merciful." Authorities have said they do not yet have a suspect in the case, nor are they completely certain that the Dortmund team was the intended target.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Meissner
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The state's government has also come under fire for its failure to detain Tunisian migrant Anis Amri, who went on to perpetrate last December's Christmas market attack, in which 12 people were killed.
The chancellor admitted Thursday that among the hundreds of thousands of migrants who entered Germany over the past two years, some had raised security concerns. "We owe it to the innocent refugees to pursue those who choose to abuse our will to help," she said.
Asked whether she regretted that her "open door" refugee policy had let extremists into Germany, Merkel pointed out that the country "was already a target for Islamist terrorism before refugees arrived here."
