German official may have been target of G8 attack

HAMBURG, Dec 27 (Reuters) A car in front of the home of a senior German government official was set on fire and the house's windows and walls splattered with paint in an attack police said may be linked to Germany's upcoming G8 presidency.

German police said today they had obtained a letter claiming responsibility for yesterday's attack on the home of deputy finance minister Thomas Mirow.

The three-page letter, sent to the Hamburger Morgenpost newspaper, criticised the planned Group of Eight (G8) summit in June at the Baltic resort of Heiligendamm, east of Hamburg. Germany takes over the rotating presidency of the G8 in January.

The letter said Mirow, 53, was singled out because: ''He is responsible for coordinating financial policies.'' Mirow was economy minister in Hamburg from 1997 to 2001. He has been deputy finance minister since 2005.

Police said the state crime office was investigating the attack.

They said the heat from the burning car damaged the walls of the house.

The German office for the protection of the constitution warned in early December of possible attacks from left-wing extremist groups opposed to the policies of the G8, a grouping of industrialised nations that comprises Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States.

REUTERS PB KN1944