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BERLIN (Reuters) – Osama bin Laden cast its shadow on the election campaign in Germany on Friday, with a message that apparently seeks to frighten the authorities, who are already on guard after a series of menacing videos of Al Qaeda.

The leader of al Qaeda called on the Europeans to end their alliance with America and its troops out of Afghanistan in a study published video with subtitles in English and German.

Bin Laden threatened new attacks did not mention Germany, but appeared to refer to that country with a discussion of economic problems in the heart of Europe.

The timing of was released on video, two days before federal elections, and the inclusion of a German translation appeared calculated to send a threatening signal to voters.

Three video clips of Last week, an al Qaeda member known as Abu Talha promised the country a rude awakening if its 4,200 soldiers remain in Afghanistan.

Police in the southern city of Stuttgart said on Friday the arrest of a Turkish suspect in 25 years one of the top Internet videos.

Currently there is a threat that an attack in Germany or against German interests in the period immediately, and extends for at least the next four weeks, said Ben Venzke of the U.S. group IntelCentersobre about the message from bin Laden.

Paul Cruickshank, a member of the Center for Law and Security School of Law, University of New York said: This message appears to be very targeted to Germany. Al Qaeda is trying to raise the temperature in Germany on Afghanistan before the election.

The videos and prompted Germany to raise its security at airports and train stations before the vote, where it is expected that the current conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel is re-elected.

We have high security an appropriate level for the stage and maintained at this level for now, said the Interior Ministry spokesman Stefan Paris in a government press conference on Friday.

The authorities are clearly very nervous. You can see the presence of high security, especially at U.S. facilities in Germany, said Guido Steinberg of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

(Additional reporting by William Maclean, Editing by Jill Serjeant)