The Banality of the Borussia Dortmund Bus Attack
The way the bombing has played out suggests Europe is becoming more accustomed to terrorism.
Immediately after the bombing of the Borussia Dortmund soccer team’s bus earlier this month, German police found three identical letters that seemed to support what everyone already believed. Several pipe bombs had hit the side of the bus as it drove to a match April 11, shattering glass, and injuring one player, as well as an officer. Authorities suspected Islamist terrorists, and the letters found near the entrance of the team’s hotel referred to a “caliphate” and referenced a “death list” for all unbelieving actors, singers, and athletes. But experts called the letter suspicious, because it made unusually specific requests, like the closure of the U.S. military base in Ramstein—a longstanding far-right demand. A week later,
