Terror Plot in Germany

A commemoration of 9/11 is cancelled, with prejudice. From Der Spiegel:

The three suspected terrorists seized Tuesday were planning huge bomb attacks on targets in Germany. The bombs they were planning to make would have had more explosive power than those used in the Madrid and London terror attacks. [SNIP]

According to [German Federal Prosecutor Monika] Harms, the three men arrested Tuesday afternoon (more...) belong to a German cell of the terror group "Islamic Jihad Union" (IJU). They are accused of preparing terror attacks against US facilities in Germany.

The German authorities had been watching the suspects since January and waited until the suspects had all the components for the planned attacks before making the arrests. The probable targets? Ramstein Air Base and Frankfurt Airport, along with several other locations which Americans are known to frequent. The group had planned on producing a hydrogen peroxide bomb with the power of 1200 lbs. of TNT--surpassing the power of the Madrid bombings.

The authorities believed that the members of the cell knew about the surveillance and were shocked

when the group continued working on their plan even after the investigation was started. [SNIP] "That they nevertheless continued shows how determined they were," one investigator said. "We are dealing here with perpetrators who believe devoutly in what they were doing." The investigator also says that the men were prepared to sacrifice their lives to make their attacks a success.

Under the stating-the-obvious heading, the suspects are said to have a "profound hatred of U.S. citizens."

Comments

[ErikZ]

Kudos to the Germans for catching these guys. I wonder what tipped them off?

[baldilocks]

According to the Spiegel article, the Germans caught them scoping out Hanau--a US Army installation--on New Year's Day. After they did this several times, the Germans started keeping an eye on them.

[JoeP]

The Germans are doing other things right too:
I guess when W-M doesn't get millions of tax dollars in subsidies and wages low enough for 80 percent of their workforce to be on food stamps, things don't work out for the billionaire Walton family.

http://www.forbes.com/business/2006/07/28/walmart-germany-metro-cx_po_0728walmart.html

[JoeP]

After checking the 'articles' on the so-called terror plot, I don't buy it. Too many 'generalities' like: "...profound hatred of US citizens." Nah, the hatred is for the US govt and its machinations, not its citizens. And spare the "didja catch 911..." tripe.

"...presented a real threat to life." A General Hospital Emmy line.

"...believed that the men wanted to experiment in the coming days and weeks." Great line ... better move on 'em now!

Article forgot to mention that 6 of the 8 snagged in Denmark were immed released. But 8 sounds scarier than a lousy 2, who'll be released in a day or so without a mention except a small para in your local paper's page 19.

Timing: just in time for the Deutsche Parliament about to discuss terror legislation. And to boot, the plots thicken and 5-deferment-boy's "build up the cases and causes for Iraq and Iran" is in full swing...and OMG, right among us! And ol' Angie Merkel just may end up getting another very much unwanted back rub out of appreciation for this BOGINT.