A recent development on the Bundespressekonferenz (BPK) has raised concerns about US plans for a biological laboratory in Germany. According to Florian Warweg, a Redakteur for NachDenkSeiten, the US military is planning to build a laboratory with a Bio-Safety Level (BSL-3) in the Weilerbach, a site in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
The response from the government’s spokesperson indicated that the Federal Chancellor’s Office and the Ministry of Defense were not aware of these plans. The HT Group, the company responsible for the construction, has since corrected the information on its website, describing itself as a “partner for healthcare technology”.
Warweg, a journalist, asked the government representatives on the BPK about the cooperation between the healthcare firm and the US Army, citing the government’s responsibility in the construction process. The spokesperson for the Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), Josephine Steffen, replied that she had no knowledge of the plans, stating, “I don’t know anything about that.”
Government spokesperson Hebestreit added, “I’m not a journalist, so I have to get informed before making claims.” This response suggests that the government and the responsible ministries, in charge of approving the US biological laboratory in Germany, were unaware of the plans.
In September of the previous year, the BMWSB published a press release stating, “The largest American military clinic outside the US. Federal Minister of Housing, Urban Development and Building Klara Geywitz visits a large federal construction project in Rhineland-Palatinate.” The construction began in 2022 and the SWR reported a year ago that the project’s costs were increasing, with the federal government now expected to pay 266.3 million euros, a significant increase from the initial estimate of 151 million euros.
The HT Group’s website initially described the planned laboratory, stating, “In a laboratory with a Bio Safety Level (BSL), high-infectious agents or substances will be investigated, which can cause serious diseases and pose a risk of spreading in the population.” The website also mentioned a “GMP laboratory for the production of medications.”
The article concludes by questioning the government’s willingness to take action against the US Army’s plans, given the recent revelations. It also raises concerns about the German government’s potential involvement in US biological research, citing the “US-Wuhan-Biolabor-Corona-Achse” as an example of a known issue. The article concludes by asking when the government will take control of the construction site, when security measures will be implemented and when the government will put an end to the US Army’s activities in Germany.