Deutsche Welle May,9th 2007

German authorities have launched a large-scale anti-terror sweep across six northern states, searching more than 40 sites believed to be linked to left-wing militants. The raids were ordered in the run-up to next month’s G8 summit in Heiligendamm. Police are targeting suspected militants with possible links to terrorist organisations. Authorities expect up to 100,000 protesters to gather near the area of the summit which runs from June 6-8. Police also closed a number of cultural centres including one in nearby Hamburg and in Berlin. Hamburg was the location of the terrorist cell that plotted the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.