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German Jihad Plot Investigation (Updated)

By Jeffrey Imm

Since the arrest of three Jihadist suspects on Wednesday, the investigation into the German Jihadist plot continues.

1. Identity of the three arrested suspects.
The International Herald Tribune (IHT) reports that the arrested suspects are being identified as follows: "Fritz Gelowicz" (German), "Daniel Martin S." (German), and "Ayem Y." (Turkish). All three suspects remain in custody.

2. Update - Report: German Jihadist Suspect Met 9/11 Hijacker
The London Times is now reporting that German Jihadist Suspect Fritz Gelowicz may have had contact with 9/11 Jihadist Mohammed Atta, who smashed a hijacked plane into the Twin Towers. Police state that Fritz Gelowicz came to their attention 9 years ago when he publicly praised Islamic terror attacks; they state that Fritz Gelowicz's name also comes up regarding a visit to Neu-Ulm by Mohammed Atta. Atta had visited a Neu-Ulm mosque known for its radicalism. A senior investigator stated that Atta "seems to have inspired many of the people who came in and out of the Neu-Ulm mosque".

3. Targets for Jihad Attacks.
The IHT reports that based on monitoring the suspects telephone calls and monitoring their actions, the investigators concluded that the possible targets were Ramstein Air Base and Frankfurt International Airport.

As previously reported on Wednesday, German federal prosecutor Monika Harms also stated that: "As possible targets ... the suspects named discotheques and pubs and airports frequented by Americans with a view to detonating explosives loaded in cars and killing or injuring many people"

4. Additional Jihadist Suspects
The IHT and other media report that seven additional suspects are still in Germany now. AP reports that August Hanning, a deputy interior minister, said that "about" 10 people were being sought in total, and that represent the network that the authorities knew about. Hanning also stated that he believed that investigators believed that the network no longer posed a director security threat. IHT reports that Hanning stated that the suspects still at large include German converts to Islam, Turkish residents, and other nationalities.

IHT reports that of the seven Jihadist suspects in Germany, the German federal prosecutor spokeman Andreas Christeleit stated that the seven suspects are not fugitives, and that the authorities know where they are. However, Andreas Christeleit said that German authorities lacked sufficient evident to arrest them. Other sources told the IHT that one of the remaining suspects is Pakistani, one is Lebanese, and one is stateless. The source told IHT that one of the suspect fled Germany by plane, presumably to Turkey.

5. German Jihadist Internet Communications
AP reports that one of three arrested Jihadists visited a radical Islamic web site while in Munich. German state interior minister Beckstein stated that investigators would like to perform an online search but don't have the legal basis for that. However, Der Spiegel reports that German intelligence was monitoring Fritz Gelowicz's emails since Spring 2007. It is believed that Fritz Gelowicz was the "ringleader". It was in Fritz Gelowicz's emails that intelligence learned of potential targets, logistics. Fritz Gelowicz attempted to avoid detection by not sending the emails, but keeping them in an online "draft" folder for others Jihadists to read online.

Update: UPI reports that the German law enforcement's stakeout of an Internet cafe was instrumental in capturing the arrested bomb suspects.

6. Association of the three arrested suspects with a German mosque in Ulm.
Der Spiegel reports that the three men, who had visited terrorist training camps in Pakistan, were associated with a mosque in the southern German city of Ulm which has a reputation for radicalism. The Evening Standard reports that Fritz Gelowicz worked at the Ulm city's Islamic Information Center after converting to Islam. DPA reports that German authorities watch increasing conversions to Islam with concern, noting a 400% increase in Islamic conversions from 2005 to 2006. DPA reported that "Guido Steinberg, who researches Islamic issues, said extremists were targeting new converts, and terrorist expert Rolf Tophoven said converts tended to be fanatical."

7. Explosives kept in cottage.
AP reported that the three arrested Jihadists kept both military-style detonators and explosive materials at a rented cottage in Oberschlendorn, central Germany. AP reports that "Police moved in when the suspects began moving some of the containers and acquiring other equipment used to make bombs."

8. ABC Report on German 10 Month Investigation
ABC News reports in "The Story Behind the German Terror Plot" that German police were silent for 10 months as 1,000 officers built case around the homegrown terrorists.

9. Report: Pakistanis masterminding plot?
Der Spiegel reports that investigators "want to discover the identity of two men in Pakistan they think were behind the plot." Numerous media reports have stated that the German Jihadists attended Pakistani training camps.

10. German Jihadists' Connections with United Kingdom.
The Evening Standard reports that the German Jihadists phoned British contacts as they plotted. The Evening Standard states that "Several calls to British numbers are said to been made from mobile telephones linked to two of the men being questioned in Germany. One is said to have been a 'known' number." It also reported that British anti-terror officers were "checking for links between the men held in Germany and British-Pakistani terror suspects who may have trained with them. Officers from Scotland Yard flew to Germany to assist the investigation. They want to examine any possible links with UK terror plots."

11. German Security Wants To Make Attending Terror Camp Training a Crime
AP reports that German security officials are urging the German government to make attending terror training camp a crime.
 

Sources:

September 7, 2007 - UPI: Internet cafe stakeout nabs bomb suspects

September 7, 2007 - AP: German security officials urge government to make attending terror training camp a crime

September 7, 2007 - The London Times: German terror suspect 'met 9/11 hijacker'

September 7, 2007 - ABC News: The Story Behind the German Terror Plot

September 6, 2007 - Der Spiegel: German Investigators Seek Identities of Terror Masterminds

September 6, 2007 - Der Spiegel:'The Next Attack Is Perhaps Already Being Planned'

September 6, 2007 - International Herald Tribune: Germany building case in foiled terrorist plot

September 5, 2007: AP - German authorities searching for 7 more suspects in terror plot

September 5, 2007 - DPA: German authorities watch increasing conversions to Islam with concern

September 5, 2007 - The Evening Standard: UK link to German terrorists planning new 9/11 massacre -- terrorists phoned British contacts as they plotted

September 5, 2007 - Germany foils Jihadist bomb plot - CTB Posting by Jeffrey Imm