All is quiet on the German front ...?

On July 31, German police discovered two home-made bombs in the train stations of Dortmund and Koblenz. Later they closed the train station in Kiel and arrested a Lebanese student in connection with these attempts at terror.

What is remarkable about these events is, alas, not so much the fact that they happened, nor the connection with Lebanon. What struck me, however, is the relative indifference with which both German and Dutch media have reported the news. The mood in Germany is very much to get on with the business of the day. I have not seen (yet?) any scare-mongering or panicky publications about the fact that Islamist terorrism has reached Teutonia. I am not the only one noticing this.

In a way, that is exactly as it should be: the Germans don't give these terorrists what they so desparately want, i.e., attention, panic and terror... Compare this to the absolute spastic way in which the USA responded to their home-grown would-be terrorists. Apparently, Germany has learned in the 70s how to live with constant terrorism (from the RAF) and taken an alert, but otherwise relaxed attitude.

I wonder if they will keep it up...