VIENNA, Austria_A senior U.S. Homeland Security official said Wednesday he was confident Germany was doing a good job preparing for the World Cup.
Michael P. Jackson, deputy secretary of the U.S. Homeland Security Department, said he had "every reason to believe" that Germany was taking "prudent measures" before the much-awaited tournament, which kicks off on June 9.
If asked to do so, Jackson said the United States would "be open to doing what would be most helpful" to assist Germany on the security front. However, this would likely be in the area of technical assistance and not in the form of law enforcement officers, he added.
Jackson made his comments during a briefing with reporters at the U.S. Embassy in Vienna before several days of meetings on security issues hosted by Austria, which holds the EU's rotating presidency.
