Germans Thwart Plot Against U.S. Base

3 Terror Suspects Arrested In Alleged Plot Against Ramstein, Frankfurt International

(CBS/AP)  Three militants from an Islamic group linked to al Qaeda were planning "massive" bomb attacks against Americans in Germany when an elite antiterrorist unit raided their small-town hideout, officials said Wednesday.

Officials said the arrests capped a six-month investigation and stopped a massive - and imminent - plan to bomb targets that included Frankfort Airport and the U.S. Ramstein Air Base, the transit point for thousands of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, reports CBS News foreign correspondent Richard Roth.

Prosecutors said the suspects - two German converts and a Turkish citizen sharing a "profound hatred of U.S. citizens" - had military-style detonators and enough material, including hydrogen peroxide, to make bombs more powerful than those that killed 191 people in Madrid in 2004 and 52 commuters in London two years ago.

German Federal Prosecutor Monika Harms said the suspects arrested Tuesday were aiming at institutions and establishments frequented by Americans in Germany, including discos, pubs and airports. Her office said the plan was to set off car bombs.

"We were able to succeed in recognizing and preventing the most serious and massive bombings," Harms said at a news conference.

A judge has ordered that the three suspects be held pending trial.

The three suspects first came to the attention of authorities because they had been caught observing a U.S. military facility in Hanau, near Frankfurt, at the end of 2006, officials said.

Roughly two million Turks lived in Germany as of 2004 - and the area of the arrests holds the country's largest Turkish population, reports CBSNews.com's Christine Lagorio from Berlin.

All three had undergone training at camps in Pakistan run by the Islamic Jihad Union, and had formed a German cell of the group, which officials said was influenced by al Qaeda.

FBI Special Agent Richard Kolko told CBS News Wednesday that U.S. officials "see no imminent threat to the U.S. domestically following these arrests."

Kolko added that no further information on the case would come from U.S. officials.

The Islamic Jihad Union was described as a Sunni Muslim group based in Central Asia that was an offshoot of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, an extremist group with origins in that country.

"The group, which is influenced by al Qaeda, set up a German cell in winter of 2006 with the goal of finding recruits here to carry out attacks," Harms said.

The three had no steady work and were collecting unemployment benefits while their main occupation was the plot, officials said.

"This group distinguishes itself through its profound hatred of U.S. citizens," Joerg Ziercke, head of the Federal Crime Office, Germany's equivalent of the FBI, said at the news conference.

He said members of Germany's elite GSG-9 anti-terrorist unit arrested two suspects at a holiday home in central Germany (seen at left) on Tuesday.

A third suspect fled through a bathroom window but was apprehended about 300 yards away.

The arrests come a day after Denmark's intelligence service arrested eight Islamic militants linked to leading al Qaeda figures in anti-terror raids in the Danish capital, according to the head of the agency.

The men, between ages 19 and 29, were suspected of preparing a terror act involving explosives, said Jakob Scharf, the head of Denmark's PET intelligence service.

German authorities gave no indication early Wednesday of any links to the arrests in Denmark. The two countries share a short border where northern Germany meets the south of Denmark.

Wolfgang Bosbach, a top legislator for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, said that "the suspects had been under observation by security officials for a long time"

"Consequently, we know without any doubt that they were planning attacks that would have had considerable consequences," he told N24 television, adding that the three had acquired chemicals for the plot.

Bosbach said an attack could have occurred "in a few days" and pointed out the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks next week, as well as deliberations by the German parliament in the next few weeks over whether to extend its troop mandates in Afghanistan.

"We are in a highly sensitive period," he said.

On March 10, 2007, the Global Islamic Media Front - know for producing a high volume of terrorist propaganda - released a video demanding the governments of Germany and Austria withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. The video, found in March by CBS News, said if the demand was not met the countries would face the threat of being attacked at home.

"Wise people do not destroy their security by their own hands," the statement read in the video said.

Meanwhile, the European Union's top justice official said Wednesday the threat of a terror attack remained high in the 27-nation bloc.

EU Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Franco Frattini said the EU executive would push ahead with plans to set up an EU-wide airline passenger data recording system modeled on a system developed by the United States, despite privacy concerns voiced by some EU parliamentarians.

"It's a useful tool to protect our citizens, who deserve the same protection as U.S. citizens," Frattini told the European Parliament.

Other measures in the works include a plan to set up an EU-wide explosive database to provide an early warning system on lost or stolen explosives that could end up in the hands of terror groups, and new provisions to deal with the misuse of the Internet by terrorists, Frattini said.

"The threat of new terror attacks continues to be high," Frattini said, citing Spain, Italy, Belgium, Britain and Germany as countries where the risk has been the highest.

Germany, which did not send troops to Iraq, has been spared terrorist attacks like the train and subway bombings in Madrid and London - although its involvement in the attempt to stabilize Afghanistan has led to fears it might be targeted.

In July 2006 two gas bombs were placed on commuter trains but did not explode. Officials said that attack was motivated by anger over cartoons portraying the Prophet Muhammad in a Danish newspaper. Several suspects are on trial in Lebanon, and a Lebanese man has been charged in Germany.

[prinzowhales]

The authorities claim that they had a six month investigation involving 300 officers...and they could only bag 3 of 13? The big scare couldn''t have come at a better time as Merkle the Ferkel tried to get the Bundestag to extend the Bundeswehr''s involvment in the Crusade for Opium in Afghanistan.

Of course, the organization behind this scare is from the usual suspects--US intelligence connected fronts. See Kurt Nimmo''s comments at--

http://adereview.com/blog/?p=26

[name_verify]

Muslims are suspicious.

[toldyouso21]

Europe has been under seige from Terrorists (home grown and foreign ) since the 1960s. Why is it, that in all of that time; they are only now discovering all of these terror cells? True terror cells? Or trumped up charges to curry favor from the Bush Adminstration and to prove they are on board in the "War on Terror" A most ambiguous term--that can be used to justify any number of arrests, spying, wiretapping and imprisoning of people and put it all under the nebulous but righteous banner of "terror suspect"

Maybe we will start getting suspiscious, when the suspects starts being members of other political groups and not just Muslims--then we will see just what a tangled web we are weaving.

True terror attacks? Maybe. Where was all the surveillance 3 or 4 or even 6 years ago? Why did it take an attack on America for Germany, Japan, England and others to really clean their own houses? Go figure.

[rafterman1]

===Germany chose not to support U.S. efforts to go after terrorists. Did they mistakingly believe that this would make them immune from Moslem terrorists in Germany? Or is this poetic justice? A few more terrorist arrests or a few incidents and perhaps they will come begging for our sympathy.===

Germany has always been a terror target and they know it. The Israeli Olympic massacre happened there, not to mention their own problems with the Red Army Faction group. So they are quite aware of the terror threat. They just happen to belive, as do most thinking people, that Iraq has little to do with terrorism.

[whatithink-2009]

Guess it''s time to invade Germany and continue the campaign to take the war outside of the U.S., so we are not fighting here.

Would make as much sense as why we invaded Iraq.

[nishaboston]

God gave us the entire universe. Not just Israel. Gesh why don''t some of you religious idiots understand that???????????????

[farmerbb]

Maybe it is time for western societies to turn off all immigration by muslims. After the plot by doctors to attack the Glasgow airport, we can''t tell anymore if a muslim is a radical type bent on setting of bombs to kill civilians. No longer can we say these are the actions of poorly educated muslims, from the lower classes. Any one of them could be building bombs in his home, it now appears. And if they break any laws, deport them.

[mrgwr39]

Why is there so much hate in the world? We all have to live here together and some of these comments just reek of anti-semitism, hate for people other than Americans and all of this is not necessary. The world is a place we all have to live in and to project hatred is just totally defeatist. It serves no purpose other than to continue in the downward spiral that the world is currently in. Do you think God looks at this and thinks it is correct. He must really be saddened by all of this. He has done so much for all of us and to hate so much insults God. He gave this world to us and we don''t even respect the land or one another. TO continue hating only serves to continue to disappoint God and to continue this terrible trend of violence the world is currently in. We have to try and turn this around by showing respect for one another and by trying to help one another. We are only ruining the world right now.

[lars008-2009]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid%u2026.

non muslims of the world unite... fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside...

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770
Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.

http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

the truth about fascist nazi terrorislam...
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

[zootallures2]

And take your perverted sadistic swindling converts with you! Go home jew! God gave America to me!

How you like it you evil jew cultists? You child sacraficing satan worshiping feices loving swindling crack pots? Just 19.99! And if you act now, we''ll talk about how the only ones dancing on 9/11 were you jews!

[zootallures2]

God gave America to me! Go to Israel! Go home jew, go home! LOL!!!!!!

[zootallures2]

Posted by ColonieNY at 02:12 AM : Sep 06, 2007

ColonieAshkenazi, God promised America to us. Go to Israel. This land is our land this is not your land. Why we got to spend 80 billion a year for your ******** if half of you scumbags live here? Go home nazi zionist, go home! Go to your arsekenazi ********!

[zootallures2]

Are we to believe that the Moslems are innocent parties to atricities? Are we to believe that Israeli atrocities justify kidnappings, suicide bombings, and murder by Moslems? If you are a Moslem, it is easy to blame Israeli atrocities for your behavior. It even becomes easy to lop missiles into civilian populations. How many times did the Arab world attack Israel? Why not include these things?
Posted by rhs648 at 01:09 AM : Sep 06, 2007

Why not show all the terrorism you jews do on your zionist media? Never hear when you bomb an Arab civil rights organisation or charity in the US and get sanctuary in Israel. Or sending packages with your excrement in it. You are the sick swindling scum of the earth.

[colonieny]

Good job Germany !

[j-whitman]

on_alert247,,, Total agreement on the Arabs,,, Good night.. decent discussion,, sorry it got religious. But those dudes asked for it.

[j-whitman]

What makes me Jewish ??? I was raised Southern Bapttist,,,, I saw too many descrepancies & people not living to what the message was,,, I was taught the big 10 Commandments where a good thing, yet saw know one acknowledging them or attempting to live by them..... The ol Holy Trinity never made since...
. I''ve been to many synagogues I saw truth in a big way. Jesus was indeed a man & prayed to a god & he isn''t a messiah.
.. I''m not too religious, but it does effect our lives every day including in this so called War agianst Evil. & the Evil Muslems.... The igorance is not winning the War on Terror, it is contributing to it.

[on_alert247]

JW:
Gotta hit the hay. I would live alongside the Palestinian Arab, Christian and Jewish citizens of Israel any day rather than in Saudi Arabia, Iran or Pakistan. But that is just me. Zionism doesn''t scare me like Salafism.

[rhs648]

on_alert247,, Thanks, it''''s been going on since 1967, military subjication of the people since 1947,,, The United Nations knows this & lists many complaints against Isreal''''s human rights abuses.. Much the basis for ultra conservative attacks on the UN.

Posted by j-whitman

Are we to believe that the Moslems are innocent parties to atricities? Are we to believe that Israeli atrocities justify kidnappings, suicide bombings, and murder by Moslems? If you are a Moslem, it is easy to blame Israeli atrocities for your behavior. It even becomes easy to lop missiles into civilian populations. How many times did the Arab world attack Israel? Why not include these things?

[j-whitman]

on_alert247,, Thanks, it''s been going on since 1967, military subjication of the people since 1947,,, The United Nations knows this & lists many complaints against Isreal''s human rights abuses.. Much the basis for ultra conservative attacks on the UN.

Ariel Sharon used terrorist attacks, Benjamin Netanyahu sponsers them also ie. the King David Hotel, wiping out refugee camps etc. Zionism, the other Zionism

[on_alert247]

JW:
So what you are saying is that if the state of Israel did not exist and there were no Zionism in the world then there would not terrorism related to Islam. The only terrorism would be political in nature, irrespective of religion, correct?