Germany Tells Scientology Cult, "Ficken Sie ab"

Germany's Defense Ministry has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist. A spokesman said the film makers "will not be allowed to film at German military sites if Count Stauffenberg is played by Tom Cruise, who has publicly professed to being a member of the Scientology cult." The German government does not recognize Scientology as a church. Berlin says it masquerades as a religion to make money, a charge Scientology leaders reject.

The movie is centered around Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg who led an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Nazi dictator in July 1944 with a bomb hidden in a briefcase. He had been deeply opposed to the Nazis' treatment of the Jews and planted a briefcase bomb under a table near Hitler in his "Wolf's Lair" headquarters on July 20, 1944. The bomb went off but only wounded the Fuehrer.

The film, slated for a 2008 release and to be directed by Bryan Singer and co-starring Kenneth Branagh, is called "Valkyrie" after Operation Valkyrie, the plot's codename.
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