Prosecutors charge man
‘Terror’ plot
FRANKFURT, Oct 29, (Agencies): German prosecutors brought criminal charges on Wednesday against a TurkishGerman man suspected of preparing an Islamist militant bomb attack in a thwarted plot that led to the cancellation of a cycle race in May.
German police said in April they had prevented an attack by a 35-yearold man with suspected Salafist militant links. They cancelled a Frankfurt May Day cycle race because the suspect and his wife had been seen along the route, although they said they had not established with certainty that the race was the intended target.
The man had raised suspicions when he and his wife bought 3 litres (5.28 UK pints) of hydrogen peroxide at the end of March using a false name.
A search of their home following his arrest on April 29 turned up a home-made pipe bomb filled with nails and steel pellets as well as numerous weapons, ammunition and chemicals that can be used to make explosives.
Police said at the time he had dual Turkish-German citizenship and a criminal record. As is custom in Germany, neither police nor prosecutors have named him.
The prosecutors’ office said on Wednesday that a thorough investigation had shown the suspect had been in contact for some time with radical Islamists and had firm plans for an attack at a major event in Germany.
They charged him with preparing a serious act of violent subversion, a breach of German explosives regulations and forgery of documents. He could face 10 years in jail.
Prosecutors had initially also suspected the man’s wife of being involved in the plot, but they said in a statement on Wednesday they were unable to prove she had any knowledge of the weapons and dangerous goods stored in the couple’s basement.
Ban
UN Secretary-General Ban Kimoon on Wednesday called for a “unified” global response to prevent terrorism that puts respect for human rights at the “forefront”.
“Our response needs to be unified and multidimensional,” he said in a closing address to an international conference on preventing extremism by the Madrid Club group of former global leaders and heads of state.
“Human rights must be at the forefront of our response,” he added.
People who are drawn to extremism are often “frustrated” and “radicalised by what they see around them,” Ban said.
“This includes violence, injustice and heavy handed security responses.”
Ban also said that world leaders have failed to fully comprehend the message of the Arab Spring, the popular uprisings that toppled autocratic leaders across the Arab world.
“When the Arab Spring happened in 2011, I urged leaders in the region to please listen carefully and sincerely what their messages are, what are their aspirations. But they have not listened carefully,” he said.
The UN chief said governments need to fight poverty and inequality, promote sustainable development and ensure that youths — the prime target of extremist recruiters — are occupied.
Ban recalled that at the beginning of next year, either January or February, he will present a global plan to fight terrorism.
About 200 experts and around 40 former heads of state took part in the two-day gathering in Madrid to discuss ways to prevent extremism.
The Swedish Red Cross on Wednesday said it would set up a free helpline to offer advice and support to anyone worried that a loved one may be on the path to radicalisation.
The announcement of the project comes barely a week after two people were killed in a raciallymotivated attack on a school that shocked the nation.
“We are launching this hotline at the request of the National Coordinator Against Extremism. We want to help the families, the friends of people tempted by radical extremism,” Swedish Red Cross president Anna Carlstedt told AFP.