German prosecutors charge members of suspected Islamic terror cell with plotting bomb attack

By STEPHEN GRAHAM
Associated Press Writer

BERLIN – German prosecutors said Friday they have filed charges against a group of five suspected Islamic extremists who were arrested for planning to bomb bustling New Year's celebrations in the French city of Strasbourg a year ago.

In the light of the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States, the plot has underlined how extremists have used Germany as a base to plan terrorist attacks beyond its borders.

Prosecutors insist they have found no "concrete" links between those charged and the Hamburg terrorist cell involved in the Sept. 11 attacks. But they said all the Strasbourg plotters had received training in Afghanistan, and that the group had contacts with extremist groups in Italy and Britain.

In a statement, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said that it charged four men, believed to be Algerian nationals, of planning to commit murder and cause an explosion in Strasbourg, as well as weapons offenses and falsifying documents.

The suspects were identified only as Lamine M., Aeurobi B., Salim B. and Fouhad S. The latter also had French nationality, according to the statement. They and a fifth suspect, Samir K., also are accused of membership of a terrorist group.

German authorities detained four of the suspects in Frankfurt during a Dec. 26 raid last year.

The group allegedly had rented two apartments in the south German spa town of Baden-Baden to use as a base. They also videotaped the route from Baden-Baden to Strasbourg as well as the city's cathedral and a surrounding square, where a Christmas market is held every year.

Raids on the group's apartments in Frankfurt turned up "large quantities" of chemicals as well as equipment and instructions for making "unconventional" explosive devices. The group allegedly bought the supplies using false credit cards in shops and pharmacies across Germany.

"They had planned an attack with explosives on a busy public square at the turn of the year," prosecutors said. The statement said they were also planning other attacks, but didn't say where or give details.

Police also found 11 guns and a number of fake documents in the Frankfurt apartments, casting some doubt on the suspects' true identity and nationality.

The fifth suspect, Samir K., was picked up in April.

The trial of the five men is expected to begin next spring, although no date has yet been set.

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