German terror cell 'could have been halted'

The formation of a potentially deadly Islamic terror cell could have been prevented if German immigration laws had been implemented correctly, the judge in a high-profile terror case said yesterday.


Judge Ottmar Breidling criticised "incredible irregularities" by the government body that deals with foreigners, when he sentenced four Arab men for their role in a plot to bomb Jewish targets in Germany.

He said the trial, which started in February 2004, "would not have been required if laws concerning foreigners had been implemented properly".

Mr Breidling said several of the accused had been convicted for drug trafficking and should have been deported a number of years ago, but had avoided this by falsifying identity documents and applications for welfare support - steps not spotted by authorities.

The comments could reinforce the concerns of security experts that Germany and other European countries are too lenient towards potential terrorists.

The case, heard in a Düsseldorf court, concerned members of al-Tawhid, a group led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who since last year has supported al-Qaeda and is sought by the US as the leading militant behind the insurgency in Iraq. They were found guilty for forming a terrorist cell.

"In this case, Abu Musad al-Zarqawi should also be sitting on the defendants' bench," Mr Breidling said.

The men received jail sentences of five to eight years. Jordanians Mohammed Abu Dhess and Ismail Shalabi and Palestinian Ashraf Mohammad al-Dagma were found guilty of belonging to an Islamist militant group which planned attacks on two Jewish-owned Düsseldorf discos and a Berlin community centre.

Algerian Djamel Moustfa had been charged with supporting the group and breaking German weapons laws.

*Nicolas Sarkozy, France's interior minister, yesterday unveiled anti-terrorism legislation to expand the use of video surveillance cameras, stiffen sentences for terrorists, and increase government access to telephone, internet and transport records, writes Martin Arnold in Paris.

Mr Sarkozy said the measures would help France learn from the London bombings of July 7, after which British police were able to track down those responsible by using video footage.

However, his proposals have sparked complaints from privacy and human rights groups.

Mr Sarkozy, a favourite for the 2007 presidential elections, has seized on the terrorism issue as a potential vote-winner, declaring a policy of "zero tolerance" against terrorists.

The new law will introduce surveillance cameras in airports, train stations and shops, increase access to mobile phone and internet cafe records, and increase powers to track people visiting countries known to be used for terrorist training.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/a3f6b4f4-46...00e2511c8.html

Looks like the Germans and French are finally wising up a little. :thumbsup:

Perhaps Germany (and america) should prohibit immigrants and/or tourists from the arab world. That may sound racist, but did we accept German or japanese tourists in the states during WWII? Of course not, that would have been quite rightly veiwed as insane.