Germany Arrests Terror Suspects in Commando Operation

The flight was bound for Amsterdam.


SEPTEMBER 26, 2008, 5:58 A.M. ET
Germany Arrests Terror Suspects in Commando Operation

Associated Press


COLOGNE, Germany -- German police commandos on Friday boarded a KLM flight at Cologne airport just before the plane took off for Amsterdam and arrested two terrorist suspects, police said.

A 23-year-old Somali man and a 24-year-old German man born in Somalia were arrested before the KLM flight left the airport, a spokeswoman for North Rhine-Westphalia state police said.

Police spokeswoman Katharina Breuer said officers boarded the plane at 6:55 a.m. (12:55 a.m. ET) and arrested the men without incident. She said authorities don't suspect the men planned to abduct the flight.

Germany's Bild newspaper, citing police sources, said the two had been under observation for months and a suicide note was found in their apartment saying that they wanted to die for the "jihad" or "holy war."

Ms. Breuer wouldn't disclose how authorities knew that the men would be on board and she declined to comment further.

A KLM spokeswoman told NOS news in the Netherlands that police boarded the Fokker 50 jet when it was at its "point of departure" and grabbed the two suspects. She said all other passengers aboard KLM Flight 1804 were forced to leave the plane. "Then a 'baggage parade' took place to see if the two passengers who were taken by the police had bags with them," the spokeswoman said. She said the plane took off after an hour delay and landed at Schipol airport in the Netherlands without further incident.

Earlier this month, the Dutch government's antiterror chief warned that the country remains one of the top targets for Islamic terrorist groups because of publicity surrounding a lawmaker's anti-Islam film.

The National Coordinator for Combating Terrorism said in a report the film "Fitna" by lawmaker Geert Wilders has made the country a "preferred target." The film, which the agency said it "is considered a major insult and provocation" by terrorist groups, sets Quranic texts against a background of violent images.

The terrorist threat has been rated as "substantial" since the run-up to the film's launch in March.

Copyright © 2008 Associated Press

too many idiots out there. its too early to judge, a trial will ensue and we will know how dangerous these men really are.