Two men and a woman, all in their twenties, and second generation Muslim immigrants have been arrested in Austria. Reports indicate they were in contact with Al-Qaeda and while they discussed the handling of explosives, the group had not reached the operational stage. According to STRATFOR there were concerns they might leave the country. Evidently they did produce a threat via video.
Interior Minister Guenther Platter told a press conference that the two men, aged 20 and 26, and a 21-year-old woman were "in contact with Al-Qaeda networks" but did not form an "operational group" planning violence
"In standing by the United States... you have provoked those whom you call terrorists to target you," the man on the videotape said in Arabic, with a German translation appearing on the screen as the flags of Germany and Austria appeared in front of a burning background.
Platter said two of the three, all Vienna residents, were a couple. Platter said one of the men is suspected of being the creator of the video, adding that the other man was suspected of contributing to it. House searches were continuing and a confiscated laptop computer was being checked, he added. The three suspects are being interviewed, he said. The arrests were made around noon on Wednesday after a bugging operation, Platter said.
"The international trend that al-Qaida is developing from an attack organization to a strategic terror network can be confirmed," Platter said.
Sounds like the Bush intercepts are yielding more arrests overseas.
Posted by: Captain Joe | Wednesday, September 12, 2007 at 04:44 PM