Terrorism - Europe - Chronological Order
17 Feb 2005
Militants Targeted Eiffel Tower;
Evidence of Continued Plots Against Europe Comes to Light
PARIS, FRANCE: According to the U.S. Overseas Advisory Council (OSAC),
Islamic militants under investigation for allegedly planning an attack on
the Russian Embassy in Paris had other targets on their list, including the
Eiffel Tower, police and judicial officials said on Wednesday.
Three men, all Algerians, were detained Jan. 11 in connection with an
investigation into a network of Islamic radicals supporting Chechen rebels,
the officials said on condition of anonymity.
More than 20 people have been jailed in a series of arrests since December
2002 as part of an investigation into the network. The investigation
revealed an alleged plot against the Russian Embassy and a planned chemical
attack.
On Wednesday, judicial officials confirmed the three arrests, which were
first reported by the daily Le Parisien. The newspaper said attacks in
Britain were also allegedly planned and that those arrested in France had
links to a group of Islamic radicals in Spain.
According to judicial officials, the three men said among the targets was
the veritable symbol of France, the Eiffel Tower. Also targeted were a
clothing store in the central Paris district of Les Halles, which is a
commuter link packed with people, Israeli interests and police stations,
officials said.
Money from a French network making false papers was allegedly taken to Spain
to finance sending Islamic combatants to Chechnya, the paper reported
without citing sources. (Information for this report was provided by the
Associated Press.)
-- Source:
http://www.ds-osac.org/News/story.cfm?contentID=23948
ERRI counter-terrorism analysts
have surmised and EmergencyNet News correspondents reported that additional
terrorist events may be forthcoming in Europe, this assumption due to a
large number of terror-trained militants currently operating in the
region....and to the stated intent of a number of terror organizations. A
number of such plots have reportedly already been thwarted by European
intelligence and police agencies, ERRI analysts said.
INSTANT 
13:30CST/19:30 London time - 11 Feb 2003
SkyNews Reporting that Heathrow Alert Is Concerning Missile Attack on Airplane
From the ERRI/EmergencyNet News Watchdesk
By C. L. Staten, Sr. National Security Analyst
LONDON, ENGLAND: (Emergencynet News) -- According to a report from England's SkyNews, the deployment of at least 400 troops and mechanized vehicles to the area around Heathrow Airport was due to a possible plot to shoot down an aircraft with a "surface-to-air" missile. Click here to review the SkyNews report.
EmergencyNet News has been reporting on this potential problem for several years
and ERRI counter-terrorism analysts believe that additional thought and preparedness should be given to perimeter security in the flight paths surrounding U.S. airports. More on this emerging story as it becomes available....British Army On Guard In London; Unprecedented Deployment
UNITED KINGDOM: Amid concern about possible al-Qaeda attacks on the British capital, the army has been assigned to increase security in London. About 450 troops have joined 1,000 extra police officers in patrolling Heathrow Airport as part of a tightening of security at several sites across the capital. The precautionary measure has reportedly been sparked by concern the Muslim religious festival of Eid -- which runs from Wednesday to Saturday -- may be used as an excuse to mount terror attacks.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said the heightened security at one of the world's busiest airports was related to action being taken in other countries. Troops will be guarding the airport perimeters, manning checkpoints and providing security in armored vehicles within Heathrow. They are also reported to be patrolling the highway that leads into the airport.
Troops from the First Battalion Grenadier Guards and the Household
Cavalry Regiment began to take up their position at the airport at 06:00GMT.
A British Ministry of Defense spokesman said the soldiers would be on guard
for as long as the police needed their support.
INSTANT UPDATE - 17 Nov 2002 - 10:00CST
OK Official Denies that Arrests Involve Chemical Attack
LONDON, ENGLAND: According to the Associated Press, UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has denied a London Times report on Sunday that three men arrested on terrorism charges were planning a poison gas attack on the London Underground (See below). "In this case it does not appear there is any evidence whatsoever there was going to be a gas attack or use of bombs regarding the three people who have been arrested." According to the BBC, Prescott also played down the significance of the arrests, saying they had "excited the press," something that British authorities apparently didn't want to do.
*****
15:15CST/21:15 London Time - 16 Nov 2002
Subway Chemical Plot Revealed; Three in Custody
London, England (Emergencynet News) -- According to a news report from British
SkyNews, three men have been arrested
on charges of participating in an
alleged plot to release poison gas on the London Underground subway
network. The men are described as "North African Muslims" and are
said to belong to a group that has been linked to al-Qaeda.
The alleged plot was foiled after the group was
infiltrated by MI5 agents in long standing operation. The suspects were
reportedly charged with violation of Section 57 of the
Counter-Terrorism Act 2000. Few other official details are
being provided at the time of this report, and no one at Scotland Yard was
made available for comment. SkyNews said that the men are scheduled to
appear in court for the charges on Monday.
EmergencyNet News is monitoring this story very closely
and will bring additional details if/when they become available... Click
here for a related February 28,
1998 article by Steve Macko, "DOT REPORT SAYS U.S. TRANSIT SYSTEMS VULNERABLE TO TERRORIST
THREAT"
06 May 2002
Paris Newspaper Says Terror Alert Issued In Europe
FRANCE: The French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche reported on Sunday that Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network is preparing to kidnap hundreds of people throughout Europe over the next few days. The Paris-based newspaper said the objective of the operation would be to acquire a number of European hostages and then trade them for Islamic terrorists currently being held in custody in various European prisons. Citing Germany's Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper and French intelligence sources in its report, the French newspaper said about 30 members of al-Qaeda from Iraq, Iran, Yemen and Sudan are preparing to strike targets in France, Great Britain and Germany and take a large numbers of hostages in each country.
The plan, according to the newspaper, is to kidnap about 300 to 400
people in each country by taking control of people in places such as movie
theaters, churches, or even by hijacking cruise ships sailing in the
Mediterranean. The report said the terrorists are prepared to kill
themselves along with their hostages. The paper added that the intelligence
was acquired by BKA, the German intelligence agency, in Pakistan and was
immediately shared with other European agencies. Germany has dismantled at
least three terrorist cells operating on its territory since 9/11, including
one believed to be connected to the World Trade Center and Pentagon
attacks...
22 Mar 2002
ENGLAND/UK: New Scotland Yards says that they believe that the
"Real IRA" is believed to be plotting a new terrorist bombing campaign over
Easter using booby-trapped devices hidden in what appear to be familiar
objects. David Veness, Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner, who is head of
Specialist Operations, fears that the terrorists will plant explosives
inside items such as traffic cones to trap police, security staff and
members of the public in their attacks.
On a related note, Comm. Veness was also reportedly very concerned about
security lapses at Heathrow airport. After two high-profile robberies in
supposedly secure areas, he said he had "grave concerns" over the state of
security affairs at Heathrow. Source:
Times of
London
20 Mar 2002
ITALY: In what Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi denounced as a
terrorist attack, a senior advisor to Italy's right-wing government who was
linked to controversial labor reform plans has been assassinated. Marco
Biagi, a 51-year-old economist and law professor, was shot twice in the neck
out- side his home in central Bologna as he returned home by bicycle Tuesday
evening. Police said no one had claimed responsibility for the killing.
But
there have been reports that a five-point star, the symbol of the ultra-left
Red Brigades terrorist group, carved on the door of Biagi's house after the
departure of security forces. They said it was impossible to say if the
symbol had been put there recently. Biagi's death bears similarities to the
1999 killing of an aide to Italy's labor minister at the time, Antonio
Bassolino, which was claimed by the successors to the Red Brigades. The Red
Brigades terrorist group was involved in bombings and murders in Italy in
the 1970s to mid-1980s, with their most high-profile action being the
kidnapping and later killing of the leader of the Christian Democrats, Aldo
Moro, in 1978.
BOSNIA: Police raided the offices and homes of employees of the
Islamic charity identified by authorities as the "Benevolentia International
Foundation" in Sarajevo and in the central Bosnian town of Zenica on
Tuesday, seizing documents belonging to the group and interrogating staff
members. The efforts were meant to shut down terrorist activities. According
to a police statement, the U.S. government had earlier blocked the assets of
Benevolentia's offices in Newark, New Jersey; Palos Hills, Illinois; and
Bosnia. Officials said last week that funds were missing from Benevolentia
and two other Islamic aid organizations. Bosnian officials promised the U.S.
government last week that it would crack down on the groups. In Tuesday's
United Nations-monitored operation, police carried out simultaneous raids in
the offices and in six private homes.
17 Mar 2002
German Magazine Says CIA Has Warned Germany and U.K. Of Bomb Attacks
GERMANY: Germany's Focus magazine reported on Saturday that the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency has warned Germany and Britain about possible bomb attacks by members of Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terror network. Citing a memo disseminated on 8 March by Germany's BKA federal police authority, the magazine said the CIA information was based on surveillance of two suspected al-Qaeda members in Pakistan. The two were quoted by the CIA as saying there would soon be "good news" about bomb explosions in Germany and Britain.
According to the report, due to be published in Focus magazine's Monday
edition, the BKA classified the CIA alert as "vague" because it did not
mention any time, target or method. But the BKA said the fact there could
still be al-Qaeda "sleepers" in Germany meant security services should
assume there was "an unchanged high risk situation in Germany."
INSTANT
23:00CST/05:00 London Time - 01/02 Mar 2002
Suspicious Packages Received by British Leaders
London,
England (EmergencyNet News) -- According to preliminary reports coming
from the U.K., packages containing a "caustic substance" have been
received at a number of government offices. Instructions included within
the packages claim they contain a complimentary sample of "eucalyptus
oil," but chemical analysis of the material has revealed that they
actually contained "sodium hydroxide," which could cause serious injury if
it comes in contact with the skin or respiratory system.
Police sources said that at least fourteen (14) of these packages had
been sent, including one addressed to #10 Downing Street, the address of
British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Mr. Blair is in no danger as he is
presently in in Australia, where he is attending a meeting. A
telephone warning concerning the packages was reportedly received from a
group identifying itself as the "Scottish National Liberation Army (SNLA)."
Police asked that anyone who receives a suspicious package similar to the
one pictured above should immediately call 999, the British equivalent of
911 emergency number in the USA. British police and intelligence
sources said that an intensive inquiry is underway into the entire
matter...
20 Feb 2002
Italians Arrest Four Suspicious Moroccans; Possible Plot on U.S.
Embassy?
ITALY: Police said on Wednesday they arrested four Moroccans in possession of large quantities of cyanide-based compound and maps of Rome high-lighting the location of the U.S. embassy. Investigators believe the men, arrested early Tuesday, were plotting an attack on the embassy or on Rome's water supply. The four Moroccans arrested Tuesday had been followed by police for days and their detention was related to the arrest of three more Moroccans last week.
Around ten pounds of cyanide and maps pinpointing the embassy and other locations were found on those arrested. The U.S. embassy, prominently located on Rome's famed Via Veneto, has been targeted for attack on several occasions in recent months. Even before the 9/11 attacks on U.S. cities, the embassy was forced to shut for three days after an intelligence warning of a possible bombing. Following the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center, the U.S. State Department warned again that American symbols in Italy could be targets of attacks.
US Officials Believe Al-Qaeda Could Still Strike
WASHINGTON: A US Defense official said that al-Qaeda terrorists are still capable of carrying out attacks on a global scale but Usama bin Laden's control over the network has been severely disrupted with the loss of Afghanistan. According to the British-based Financial Times newspaper, Western intelligence officials also warned the terrorist network was far from destroyed and is preparing a new phase of activity.
An unnamed Pentagon official said that al-Qaeda leaders are struggling to get out of Afghanistan and move their operations to a safe place, but so far have been unable to find another country willing to support them. The official said of al-Qaeda: "It's lost its center of gravity. The loss of Afghanistan cannot be underestimated. It was the one state sponsor they had. Bin Laden himself, obviously, his organization and his key lieutenants being on the run, moving, not having a safe haven clearly cannot operate the way they did before. They basically cannot control the organization the way they did before."
The official said intelligence on bin Laden's whereabouts was "all over the map," but he said al-Qaeda leaders were still in the process of trying to get out of Afghanistan to a safe place. Reiterating charges made recently by US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the official said some al-Qaeda members have made their way into Iran with the help of the government....(Article continues in ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT, Wednesday, February 20, 2002, Vol. 8, No. 051)
TURKEY: Police in Ankara said three al-Qaeda suspects that have been arrested are believed to have been en route to Israel to carry out a suicide bomb attack. The suspects were reportedly heading to Istanbul, before traveling to an Israeli city to carry out their mission. They had been trained by, and had fought for, the Taliban in Afghanistan. The three men were detained several days ago in the eastern city of Van. Police say they had entered the country illegally from Iran.
Two of the men are said to be Palestinians, and the third a Jordanian.
Police identified them as Firaz Suleiman, Ahmed Mahmoud and Mustafa Hassan.
It is the first time since the 9/11 attacks that al-Qaeda suspects have been
held in Turkey. A police spokesman told a news conference in Ankara that the
suspects were arrested after their car failed to stop at a checkpoint. He
said they were members of a group, Beyyiat al-Imam, which was linked to al-Qaeda...(Article
continues in ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT, Wednesday, February 20, 2002,
Vol. 8, No. 051)
17 Jan 2002
UNITED KINGDOM:
Major Raids Carried Out on Militants in U.K.
The British newspaper, The Times, was reporting on Friday that two Algerian asylum seekers living in Leicester were charged with plotting terrorist attacks in Europe on Thursday as police launched their biggest drive against al-Qaeda suspects in Britain. Armed police sealed off Leicester Magistrates’ Court as 37-year-old Baghdad Meziane was charged with being a leader of operations for the evil Usama bin Laden’s terrorist network. Brahim Benmerzouga, 30, was accused of helping to finance operations and owning equipment that could have been used in bomb attacks.
A five-month Europe-wide investigation identified Leicester as a center
since 1998 for bin Laden’s plan to bomb the US Embassy in Paris and targets
in other European cities. Both these men had been held by British
immigration officials since they were arrested at their homes in Leicester
just days after the 9/11 suicide hijackings.
08 Jan 2002
THREAT MATRIX:
Threat Issued By Fanatical British Islamist
UNITED KINGDOM: The 22-year-old leader of the Pakistan wing of the British-based Al-Muhajiroun, a militant Islamic group, who claims to have sent 200 volunteers to Afghanistan to aid the Taliban said Monday on BBC radio that they may return to Britain to launch terrorist attacks against government and military targets. The radical leader, identified as Hassan Butt, said some of the Britons he recruited to fight with Afghanistan's ousted Taliban government were killed by U.S.-led forces. Those who survived could now launch a "new phase" of terrorism in their British homeland.
Butt said: "If they do return, I do believe they will take military action within Britain." He said their targets would be "British military and government institutes, as well as British military and government individuals."
The British government responded to Butt's claim by saying that it would prosecute anyone caught engaging in acts of terrorism or supporting terrorist groups. The British Home Office statement said: "We are monitoring a number of individuals and their organizations."
Ghayasauddin Siddiqui, leader of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain, an unofficial assembly of Muslim organizations and civic groups in Britain, called Butt's statement "a very worrying and frightening point of view. These young men have been ... misguided by people of little understanding. He bluntly added that the radicals "are using Islam as a cover for their evil designs" and hoped they "will realize their mistakes ... and reorder their priorities."
Butt, on Monday, gave security forces another reason to be questioned, he said he secretly returned to Britain for three weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the United States, undetected by security forces. Butt said: "The mere fact that the British government had no idea I was here shows the incompetence and shows the vulnerability that Britain has when it comes to dealing with the mujahedin and the Muslims."
Late on Monday, Scotland Yard began investigating whether a prosecution
can be launched against Butt. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "The Met
is working closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to examine comments
made on the radio today, to establish if any offenses have been committed."
From: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-Saturday, December 22, 2001-Vol. 7, No. 358-09:30CST
British Search Ship For Bin Laden-Related Paraphernalia
Terror Group Reference: al-Qaeda
By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst
UNITED KINGDOM: Security authorities said Britain's Royal Navy and Anti-Terrorist Branch officers boarded an Indian- flagged cargo ship on Friday said to be carrying a cargo of sugar from Djibouti in East Africa and the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. The ship, said to had started its voyage from Mauritius, was believed to had posed a major threat to Britain's national security. Authorities officially declined to elaborate.
Officers from the British Navy, Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch and Customs and Excise boarded the 500-foot ship off the Sussex coast in the English Channel at about 08:00BST. British newspapers reported that elite Special Boat Service commandos were involved in the interception. Spokesmen for the services and agencies involved offered no immediate explanation of what prompted the joint operation, but the action followed the arrests in Somalia, Djibouti's neighbor, of several people suspected of links with Usama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network.
The Metropolitan Police's Anti-Terrorist Branch -- the bomb squad -- in a joint security operation with the Royal Navy and Customs, said it was acting on "a credible tip-off" that terrorist material was on board. An initial search of the vessel uncovered nothing and it has now been taken to Sandown Bay off the Isle of Wight -- where very few people live -- for a second search which could last several days.
Scotland Yard said it was unsure how long the ship was going to remain off the Isle but it would be moved to an unspecified location once the search was complete. Police said the probe was a "major security operation" and security sources said they were acting on intelligence that the vessel was carrying "terrorist material."
Some reports said the police were looking for "terrorist paraphernalia which was bin Laden-related" but they would not be more specific and stressed there was no intelligence to suggest anthrax was involved. The ship, MV Nisha, which is owned by the Bombay-based Great Eastern Shipping Company, was heading for a sugar refinery in east London. The ship was boarded by the Royal Navy and Anti-Terrorist Branch officers at about 08:00GMT. The ship was due to arrive in England at 04:00GMT on Saturday.
The British Ministry of Defense said the frigate HMS Sutherland was involved in the operation. Four rigid- inflatable boats, filled with security personnel, were used to board the merchant vessel.
Reports out of the United Kingdom say defense experts are warning that al-Qaeda could be planning a "Christmas spectacular" to hit back at the West. Former British army officer and security expert Mike Yardley said the holiday period would be prime time for terrorists to strike. Yardley said: "After being seen to come off badly in Afghanistan the network's chiefs will be keen to prove its potency abroad. Defenses are liable to be down over the Christmas holiday, making it an ideal choice for terrorists."
According to Yardley, any attack may include "exotic" weapons, including the so called dirty bomb, which uses conventional means to spread large doses of radiation. He said Britain would be a likely target because of its support in the war against the Taliban. Andrew Linington, of the National Union of Marine Aviation and Shipping Transport Officers, warned that it was "frighteningly easy" for ships to be used to transport terrorist material. He said that intelligence services of several countries were monitoring at least 20 suspect vessels at the time of this report.
The British Mirror newspaper speculated that Islamic extremists were planning a suicide attack on a high profile target such as the houses of parliament using 20 tons of explosives loaded at Djibouti, where the ship had stopped off. The Independent newspaper said police might have stopped the wrong ship, leading to the possibility that another vessel containing bomb-making equipment, arms, or other material may still at sea...and maybe heading for Britain. The paper added that the operation was ordered after information supplied by a foreign intelligence agency (Probably of U.S. origin). Police refused to say why the boat had aroused suspicion. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said he could not comment on the potential nature of this or other threats.
The British Guardian newspaper said a 20-page British government document
referred to intelligence warnings of possible nuclear, biological or
chemical attacks. It also warned: "Whether he is killed or not, bin Laden's
allies need urgently to re-establish their capability and intent in order to
make up the ground they have lost since September 11: they will seek to do
this through terrorist attacks..."
16 DEC 2001
Germany Warned Of Possible Terrorist Attack
A spokesperson said on Saturday that German authorities have been warned by a foreign intelligence agency about a possible terrorist attack. A magazine report said a terror cell could had been planning an attack as early as this weekend.
According to the news weekly Focus, the warning came from authorities in the United States and said a three-person terrorist cell may be planning to launch an attack in the coming months. The report said an attack might be timed to coincide with the end of Islamic holy month of Ramadan this weekend and target public transport.
Newspaper Says Terror Plot On Britain Uncovered
The British newspaper The Observer reported on Saturday that a plot for a bomb attack on the City of London was discovered at a terrorist base in Afghanistan. The intelligence found reportedly revealed a sophisticated al-Qaeda training program to spread its terror campaign to Britain. The plan is contained in a notebook written in clear English discovered at an al-Qaeda camp in the former Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
What is said to be concerning British police and intelligence services is that there is no indication whether the terrorist who drew up the plan stayed to fight and die with bin Laden's group, or whether he had already left on his mission to Britain before the suicide hijackings of 11 September.
In step-by-step instructions the notebook describes how to construct a
huge remote-controlled van bomb -- similar to those used by al-Qaeda
operatives against the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. A
scribbled note on top of one page suggests the intended target was Moorgate
in the center of London's financial district. The notebook was said to be
the first hard evidence that London was also a possible intended target. It
also appears to confirm the fears of intelligence services and the
Metropolitan Police that an al-Qaeda sleeper cell may already be in Britain
preparing an attack....possibly during the holiday season.
SPAIN:
ETA Plan to Blow Up Picasso Tower??
Authorities said the Basque separatist group, ETA, was planning to blow up the tallest building in the Spanish capital, Madrid, two years ago. Spain's police chief, Juan Cotino, said the plot was confirmed during questioning of two ETA members, arrested in connection with a car-bomb explosion earlier this week. They told police that ETA planned to attack the Picasso Tower, where around 5,000 people work.
The attack was planned for December 1999 to mark the resumption of violence by ETA after a 14-month ceasefire. That month, Spanish police intercepted two vans containing 1.7 tons of explosives. The then interior minister said that ETA was planning what he called a "Christmas massacre" in Madrid. The glass and steel tower, more than 40 stories high, was built by the same architect who designed the World Trade Center, Minoru Yamasaki. It stands on Madrid's Paseo de La Castellana.
The Madrid newspaper El Mundo reported in October 1999 that Basque
separatists arrested in France for stealing eight tons of dynamite were
plotting to blow up a building in Madrid. The newspaper, quoting French
investigators, said three members of ETA had instructions to destroy a
high-profile building in Madrid in the middle of the night.
31 August 2001
BULGARIA/ROMANIA:
US Closes Sofia, Bucharest Embassies to Public
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Embassies in Sofia, Bulgaria, and Bucharest, Romania, were closed to the public on Thursday for a security review, an unidentified State Department official is quoted as saying.
The official, who asked not to be named, linked the closures to a "worldwide caution" for Americans abroad issued by the State Department on June 22. That advisory mentioned the possibility of attacks on Americans by groups connected with Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden, who has been charged with planning the attacks on the U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.
State department spokesman Richard Boucher, in a press briefing yesterday, said of the closings, "Our US embassies in Bucharest, Romania and Sofia, Bulgaria are closed to the public today in order to review their respective security postures. I am not in a position to go into detail on this. I would say that American citizens who need emergency services can phone these embassies and get through to people who can help them. Each post will look at its security posture and reopen at an appropriate time. I can't speculate at this moment on when that might be."
When asked specifically about the June 22nd DoS statement on terrorist
threats and direct links to Osama Bin Laden, Mr. Boucher said, "I can't
discuss in detail the reasons for this review of the security postures, but
I would not draw that conclusion automatically..."
29 August 2001
FRANCE:
'Carlos The Jackal' Calls For World-Wide Terrorist Campaign in Support of
Palestinians
PARIS -- Illich Ramirez Sanchez, alias "Carlos the Jackal," has reportedly
issued a call for "protracted people's war, without boundaries" to be
directed against Israel and the United States.
According to press reports, Carlos wrote the letter to George Habash, the
Damascus-based head of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP),
following the death of Abu Ali Mustafa in Ramallah.
According to the Reuters news service, Sanchez's lawyers released the
letter to the media and confirmed its authenticity.
"The deceitful 'peace process' has come to a pitiful demise. People's
resistance in Palestine, armed operations worldwide, are the alternative
to surrender, Carlos wrote. According to European press sources, Sanchez
signed the letter, "Allahu Akhbar!" and "Yours in Revolution."
Carlos is serving a life sentence in a French jail for the 1975 killing of
two French intelligence agents. Additional EmergencyNet reference:
http://www.emergency.com/carlos-j.htm
ITALY:
Device Defused Near U.S. Consulate in Florence
FLORENCE - Italian police on Tuesday defused an "unsophisticated" explosive
device near the U.S. Consulate in Florence. Consulate security guards found
the device - an explosive in a plastic bag with two wires attached concealed
in a shoe box - on the street and notified police.
No damage was caused by the device, according to U.S. consulate official
David Engel. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although
Italian news agencies said a note with "anti-American, anti-capitalist and
anti-Israeli phrases" was found near the device. They provided no further
details...
10 August 2001
ITALY:
Radical Leftist Group Claims Courthouse Bomb
Venice, Italy -- The "Anti-Imperialist Terrorist Cells for a Fighting
Communist Party" claimed responsibility for the bombing of courthouse in
central Venice on Thursday. In the statement, which was delivered by
telephone to two regional Italian newspapers, the radical leftist group
said that they blew up the courthouse in retribution for the death of an
alleged anarchist. "We mourn the anarchist Carlo Giuliani, executed in
Genoa by assassins in the service of the national and international
imperialist bourgeoisie," a statement said. Italian police said that they
have some knowledge of the group and that they may have links to the old "Brigate
Rosse," or Red Brigade. Troubling were additional threats that stated that
the group would undertake additional terrorist acts. The courthouse
bombing remains under investigation...
17 July 2001
ENGLAND:
Man Charged As Bomb Plot Mastermind
Federal Officials have said that a London-based Algerian has been arrested and charged by U.S. authorities with being one of the masterminds of a plot by Islamic terrorists to bomb Los Angeles International Airport on the eve of the millennium.
Authorities also have linked the man, Abu Doha, to an alleged conspirator
in a second millennium terrorist plot to detonate bombs at several sites in
Jordan often visited by American and Israeli tourists. Doha, who was already
in custody in London on immigration violations, was charged in a sealed
criminal complaint on 2 July with conspiring to use a weapon of mass
destruction to blow up an LAX terminal just before New Year's Day 2000 as
part of a jihad against the United States.
July 9, 2001
Germany Public Announcement
From July 16 to July 27, the city of Bonn in western Germany will host the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. There will be thousands of government officials, non-governmental organization members, press representatives, and security personnel in Bonn.
It is estimated that large numbers of protesters will be present before and during the conference meeting period. As at past international meetings, it is likely that some of the demonstrators will become disorderly or violent. If this occurs, clashes could result in injuries and/or arrests. German officials are working to minimize the potential for disruption. Travelers to and through Bonn are likely to experience delays, detours, and limitations on their movement due to traffic and other restrictions. Designated roads and pedestrian thoroughfares between Bonn Friesdorf and the Bonn Rheinaue Park will be closed to the general public.
During the conference period, U.S. citizens who must travel to Bonn, should exercise caution, avoid any crowds or demonstrations, and monitor the local media to keep informed.
The nearest U.S. consular officials to Bonn are at the U.S. Consulate General in Dusseldorf which is located at Willi-Becker-Allee 10, 40227 Dusseldorf, Telephone (0211)-788-8927, or after hours at (0172)-970-2456. The U.S. Embassy in Berlin is located at Neustaedtische Kirchstrasse 4-5 and he Consular Section at Clayallee 170. The Embassy's 24-hour switchboard is (030) 8305-0 or (030) 238-5174.
For further information regarding travel to Germany, please consult the Department of State's latest Consular Information Sheet for Germany, which is available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. This Public Announcement expires on August 3, 2001.
*****
14:00CDT - 09 July 2001
Germany Reportedly Investigating Terrorist Activity
From: EmergencyNet News Mid-Day Intelligence Report
GERMANY: A foreign intelligence service analyst told Germany's DDP
News Agency that Islamic terrorists with links to master terrorist Usama
bin Laden are targeting Germany. The German Federal Intelligence Service (BND)
and the Federal Office of Criminal Investigations (BKA) are said to be
cooperating with the intelligence services of France and the US CIA to
track bin Laden's activities. The French intelligence services have
reportedly pointed out to their German counterparts that Germany has also
become a "resting/staging area" for Islamic terrorists...
22 May 2001
IRAN/GERMANY:
German Security Officials Reportedly Warn About Growing "Islamic Fundamentalism"
In an article coming from an interesting source, the Islamic
Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported over the weekend that the director of
the German domestic intelligence service, Verfassungsschutz, has warned in
light of the latest violent escalations in the Middle East, of possible
terrorist attacks by a "bin Laden" group in west Europe. While
referring to a recent police raid on several homes of suspected militants
in Germany, Heinz Fromm reportedly said: "We have evidence about
plans by fundamentalist groups to strike at targets inside western Europe.
The terrorists will most likely choose soft targets in Europe which unlike
American installations, are not heavily guarded." A senior German
interior ministry official cautioned last week against the rise of
"Islamic fundamentalism" in Germany calling it a "very
serious danger" to the country's security.
16 May 2001
UNITED KINGDOM/WASHINGTON,
DC:
"Real IRA" Finally To Be Branded "Terrorists" By United States
The US State Department is expected to finally announce on Wednesday that it is officially designating the Irish republican group the "Real IRA" as a foreign terrorist organization. It will mean that the group, which has been blamed for a series of bomb attacks in Northern Ireland and mainland Britain, will have any assets it has in the United States frozen.
The sanctions against the group would mean the
following:
(1) A freeze on assets in the US.
(2) Real IRA members would be denied US visas.
(3) Ban on Americans giving the group money or support.
The Real IRA has been held responsible for some of the most high-profile terrorist attacks by an Irish organization in recent years. The group has claimed responsibility for the 1998 bombing in the town of Omagh in Northern Ireland, which killed 29 people and injured more than 200.
The Real IRA has also been blamed for recent attacks on the BBC's Television Center, London's Hammersmith Bridge and the headquarters of the British Secret Service, MI6. In its annual report on global terrorism, the US State Department has estimated that the total membership of the dissident republican group has more than doubled, to between 150 and 200 people. The State Department says the group does receive considerable support in the US.
In other news regarding Northern Ireland, British army explosives experts are checking the area around the scene of a mortar attack on Bessbrook Army base in south Armagh. There were no reports of damage or injuries following the attack. Police said a "loud bang" was reported shortly before 2200 BST on Tuesday.
Homes on two nearby streets were evacuated. An RUC
spokesman said a device appeared to have been used and an investigation
was being launched. One official said that it appeared that a van was left
abandoned and a missile was fired from it.
Scotland Yard Fears More Terror Attacks
Amid warnings of a bombing campaign by dissident republicans, armed police officers can now be seen on the streets of London. Anti-Terrorist Branch officers at Scotland Yard have warned of a likely escalation in the bombing campaign in the run-up to the general election, and have intelligence reports warning of heightened danger. Officers say Britain has now entered a "period of danger."
Assistant Metropolitan Police Commissioner David Veness said he feared there was "worse to come" from the "Real IRA" and other Irish dissident groups following the announcement of upcoming national elections. He warned the British public to be vigilant in the weeks leading up to 7 June. Undercover Special Branch officers and armed units are now said to be in major UK cities. Police believe an "active service unit" of the Real IRA is operating in London and they fear it will step up its activities as 7 June gets nearer.
Although Scotland Yard will not comment on detailed
security matters, it is believed that all of the main candidates in the
general election will be guarded by Special Branch officers during the
campaign. MI5 and the National Crime Squad will also be seeking to flush
out the Real IRA unit before it can do significant damage. Earlier this
week the commander of Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch, Alan Fry,
said police would put into play contingency plans to deal with the
possibility of an election terror campaign.
London Postal Depot Rocked By Explosion
One person was slightly injured when a bomb exploded at a north London postal depot on Sunday. It was the second blast at the the same site in three weeks. Police blamed renegades who have split from the Irish Republican Army. The early morning blast blew out windows and charred walls at the mail sorting center, which was empty at the time. The injured person was a passer-by who was not seriously hurt. It was the third bombing in six weeks in London. All have been blamed on breakaway members of the Irish Republican Army who oppose Northern Ireland's peace process.
The head of Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch warned the public to be on guard for a bombing campaign in the run up to a general election. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry said the blast happened at 01:53BST on Sunday. Fry said police had contingency plans for dealing with the "major challenge" of a terror campaign ahead of the election, which is expected to be called within days.
A spokesman for Scotland Yard said no warning was given
ahead of the latest blast and no one has claimed responsibility. In the
past year, London has been hit by several terror attacks blamed on
dissident Irish republican group the Real IRA. Fry said that about half a
pound of explosives had been used in the latest blast. Anti-Terrorist
officers have been on high alert over the bank holiday weekend as Saturday
was the 20th anniversary of the death of hunger striker Bobby Sands.
03
Mar 2001: Series of "Real-Time" EmergencyNet News Reports Concerning a Car
Bombing Outside the BBC Broadcast HQ in London, England: 03-06 Mar
2001
15
Feb 2001: GREECE: Growing Concern About Security At Athens 2004 Olympics
01 Mar 2001
UNITED KINGDOM:
Foreign Terror Groups To Be Banned In The UK
The British government announced on Wednesday the names of foreign organizations it intends to ban under new anti-terrorist legislation. Among the twenty-one organizations are the Algerian groups the Armed Islamic Group (GIA), and the Salafist GSPC and the Egyptian organizations Islamic Jihad and Al-Gama'at al-Islamiya.
They join such groups as the Basque separatist organization, ETA, the Kurdish PKK based in Turkey, the Tamil Tiger guerrillas in Sri Lanka and the Al-Qa'ida organization of master terrorist Usama bin Laden. The list includes the Greek terror group, November 17.
The British parliament is being asked to approve the list, which would allow activities in Britain on behalf of the groups to be banned. The law makes it illegal to incite terrorism abroad and was introduced following complaints that several foreign groups have been using London as a base.
Many of the groups on the new list have Middle Eastern links. Besides those already mentioned, the list includes the Hezbollah , the Abu Nibal Organization and Mujaheddin al-Khalq (see report above).
Under the new law, British police have powers to seize assets and arrest those who use violence or the threat of it "for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause." Fund-raising or openly supporting a banned organization could lead to arrest.
The British are reportedly trying to respond to governments abroad, including Saudi Arabia and the United States, where critics have complained that the U.K. is "a haven for terror organizations."
GERMANY:
Alleged Iraqi Spies Arrested In Germany
A German prosecutor said on Thursday that two suspected
Iraqi spies were arrested in Germany this week. The two, who are strongly
suspected of being Iraqi secret service agents, were arrested by federal
investigators on 25 and 27 February. Investigators believe that they had
been working in various German cities since the beginning of the year on
behalf of an Iraqi intelligence agency.
25 Feb 2001
UNITED KINGDOM:
Scotland Yard Anti-Terrorist Branch Continues To Probe London Blast
Police investigating a bomb blast at a Territorial Army barracks which maimed a teenager are not ruling out the possibility that Irish dissidents planted the device. The explosion in west London on Wednesday evening left a 14-year-old boy blinded. He also lost his hand and lower arm.
Officers from Scotland Yard's Anti-Terrorist Branch investigating the explosion have now established that the device - concealed in flashlight - contained high explosives. Police are advising people to be alert to suspicious objects, particularly any that look like a flashlight. "We cannot rule out that there could be further attacks...and urge everyone to be vigilant of suspicious objects and packages," Deputy Assistant Commissioner Alan Fry, said.
Head of the Anti-Terrorist branch, Fry said further scientific tests are now being carried out to establish the origin of the high explosive and whether it was Semtex or another military substance. Fry said no group had claimed responsibility for the attack, but added: "The perpetrators obviously had access to high explosives and therefore we cannot rule out that Irish dissident groups may be involved..."
ERRI counter-terrorist analysts said that devices
similar to those used in the U.K. army barracks bomb have previously been
reported in the United States. In at least two instances, it is believed
that they were left at the scene of an emergency, in an effort to target
police, fire, or EMS personnel. No suspects have been identified in the U.S.
incidents.
06 Jan 2001
UNITED
KINGDOM:
Two Wounded By Letter Bombs In Northern England
British authorities issued a general warning on mailed packages on Friday after two letter bombs went off in northern England -- the third and fourth in a month. Two people were injured by the devices. Police said that people who work in farming and agriculture appear to be the targets.
A small package containing nails exploded in the face of a 58-year-old farmer on Friday morning in North Yorkshire. At about the same time in East Yorkshire, a padded letter detonated in the hands of a female employee of a real estate company. Both victims were hospitalized with facial injuries.
Two similar devices were received by mail last month -- a 30 December bomb that injured the 6-year-old daughter of a pest controller, and a 15 December device sent to an agricultural company.
North Yorkshire Police deputy chief constable Peter Walker said: "It is too early to say if the incidents are definitely linked, but this is a possibility. I am extremely concerned that these devices are being sent through the post in a totally indiscriminate manner. We are asking everyone to exercise caution when dealing with their mail, especially members of the farming and agricultural communities who appear to be targets of these attacks. We are liaising with other forces including the Metropolitan police anti-terrorist branch to see if the cases are definitely linked."
Cheshire police said after the 30 December explosion that "animal rights protesters" have been linked with previous bombing attempts, but they expressed confusion over the targeting of a pest control business. The real estate agency targeted Friday has dealings with livestock auctions.
Meanwhile in Kent, 46 dogs were stolen by the Animal
Liberation Front from a Beagle kennel near Wye College, in the early hours
of Friday. The group claimed responsibility for the theft in an e-mail to
a local radio station in which activist James George claimed the dogs had
been kept in inhumane conditions.
28 Dec 2000
GERMANY:
Four Alleged Terrorism Suspects Arrested
Prosecutors said on Thursday that authorities have arrested four suspected terrorists with ties to Usama bin Laden and seized weapons and explosives during a search of two Frankfurt apartments. The four were arrested Tuesday on charges of belonging to a criminal organization, arms and explosives violations and falsifying documents.
During a subsequent search of two apartments on Wednesday, authorities seized 44 pounds of a chemical prosecutors said can be used to manufacture explosives, as well as homemade detonators, a hand grenade, sub-machine guns, dismantled rifles, revolvers and ammunition. All four suspects were living under assumed names, and prosecutors said their true identities were not yet known. Their documents identified them as Ayoubi B. of Algeria, Hisham E. and Lamin M. of Iraq and Fouad S. of France.
Prosecutors said they were part of an international network
trained by bin Laden's followers in Afghanistan, and that they set up
logistics in Germany to support attacks on the "enemies of
Islam." No evidence linking them to any actual or planned attack
was found.
02 Oct 00: British Extremist Group Issues New "JIHAD FATWA AGAINST ISRAEL"
23 Dec 99-09:30 CST- Parcel Bombs From Germany?
(Article with graphic and
reference to FBI
warning)
24 Sep
99-09:30CDT-Series of EmergencyNet News Real-Time
Reports Concerning Multiple
Explosions in
Russia - 31 Aug 99 to 24 Sep 99
05/08/99-09:35CDT- UK Think-Tank Releases Survey On "WMD"Terrorism
08/16/98-10:00CDT--Preliminary Reports Concerning Terrorist Bombing in Omagh, N. Ireland
01/05/97-10:00CST--ERRI Issues Terrorism Advisory For Northern Ireland and Ireland
07/21/97-10:00CDT--Overview Of The Irish Republican Army/Cease-Fire Report
07/20/96-15:00CDT--Basque Separatists Bomb Airport, Hotel, Main Street in Spain
07/14/96-12:00CDT--ENN Series of Reports; "The Troubles" Escalate in N. Ireland
06/25/96-09:00CDT--Irish Police Commander Warns of More IRA Attacks
06/15/96-08:10CDT--Suspected IRA Bomb Injuries at Least 120 In Manchester, UK
02/11/96-14:00CST--IRA Claims Responsibility for London Blast; UK Prepares For More Violence
**FLASH**02/09/96-14:25CST--IRA Calls Off Cease Fire; Explosion in E. London Follows; 50 Injured
09/94-Carbombs in City Centers-By: Supt. Hillier, London Police
11/14/93-12:00CST--IRA Violence Greatest Since 1972; More Expected (July/Nov. 1993 Summary)
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