German police confirmed Tuesday what World Cup observers have suspected: The U.S. team has been given an unusually heavy security detail for soccer's showcase event.

Scores of officers in the team's home base of Hamburg have been assigned to protect the team against terrorism, including SWAT teams whose vehicles accompany the U.S. bus everywhere it goes, Hamburg Police director Ralf Meyer said in an interview.

A fleet of motorcycle officers clears traffic for the bus, which never stops or slows down as it takes one of dozens of routes between the team's downtown hotel and the practice field on the outskirts of Germany's second-largest city.

“South Korea or Italy certainly isn't getting this treatment,” Meyer said.

City leaders worked with U.S. officials to draw up the security blueprint, which will be adapted as the Americans travel for at least two more games _ Saturday in Cologne against Italy and June 22 in Nuremberg against Ghana.

For full story, please see the June 14, 2006 edition of The Union-Recorder