Schily said his recent trip to Algeria and Tunisia had increased "our concerns about a higher terrorist danger as a consequence of the war in Iraq."

"We have to remain very alert, without giving in to panic," Schily said, adding the end of war in Iraq would not necessarily be a signal to "lift the alert".

Commenting on a series of police raids in Germany, Schily said they had led to the capture of a man and an investigation had revealed "some quite disturbing information."

According to press reports, a Tunisian man arrested in Berlin on March 21 in a crackdown on Islamic extremists suspected of plotting attacks had been in contact with al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.

Federal prosecutors said the man was accused "with other unknown persons of founding a terrorist organisation linked to an international network of violent Islamists."

They said he tried to recruit Arab students to launch attacks in Germany.

SPACE.WIRE