Fear of Terror Attacks in Election Year - Al-Qaeda Threatens Germany

[Mackie]

Fear of Terror Attacks in Election Year - Al-Qaeda Threatens Germany

In recent weeks presumed Al-Qaeda militants have posted videos on the Internet in which they threaten imminent terrorist attacks against Germany. The country is allegedly being targeted for contributing troops to NATO's peacekeeping force in Afghanistan; militants have threatened to retaliate by sending an army of their own into German cities such as Berlin, Cologne and Bremen. One of the videos featured a German citizen known as Abu Talha, who is now thought to be a leading member of Al-Qaeda. German authorities are taking the threats seriously and are especially concerned as 2009 is a big election year in Germany.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,3979117,00.html

Today German federal police and intelligence service warns about parallels to the terror attacks against Spain 2004.

[muck]

It doesn't matter. The majority of all people suspect a governmental fake anyway.

[LordKitchener]

It doesn't matter. The majority of all people suspect a governmental fake anyway.


Oh yeah, the radical Islamists aren't real - they are just made up by the Western governments :roll:

If anything, AQ would like a more hostile German government in power which would keep the Jihad going, so they are the ones who gain politically from this.

Take your tin foil hat off once in a while.

[LaoSexMachine]

Oh yeah, the radical Islamists aren't real - they are just made up by the Western governments :roll:

If anything, AQ would like a more hostile German government in power which would keep the Jihad going, so they are the ones who gain politically from this.

Take your tin foil hat off once in a while.


The jihad will go on until AQ get's what it wants. Be it a passive government or an aggressive one.

[tluassa]

So far, their amateur attempts have all been discovered by the Police ... it would be an effective method of really pissing a majority of Germans off that has so far been rather critical of the War against Terror.

[muck]

Oh yeah, the radical Islamists aren't real - they are just made up by the Western governments :roll:

If anything, AQ would like a more hostile German government in power which would keep the Jihad going, so they are the ones who gain politically from this.

Take your tin foil hat off once in a while.Don't blame me as I'm the one who blames my people.

[Greenbird]

Well this is exactly what happened in Spain.

Two parties in election, one wants to withdraw from Iraq, one wants to stay in Iraq. Then the Madrid bombings happened and the party and the pro-withdrawal party won in a landslide.

[PeterG]

Well this is exactly what happened in Spain.

Two parties in election, one wants to withdraw from Iraq, one wants to stay in Iraq. Then the Madrid bombings happened and the party and the pro-withdrawal party won in a landslide.

And the exact same thing will happen in Germany and other european nations as well - and the AQ recognizes this. Our leaders are mercilessly hammering us with the 'need for dialogue' between us and those with radically different values, even when they openly say they hate us and wants to kill us. And we are always reminded that all wrongs in the world, are invariably our fault. That goes for civil wars in africa, poverty and everything that is wrong with the world in general, and all faults of the human race.

So when someone comes here and blows up a train, because they are so 'desperate and outraged over western and zionist crimes' - why shouldn't the public feel that we are to blame ourselves..?

[Greenbird]

I'm unfamiliar with the political situation in Germany, is there a party that has a viable chance at winning that is advocating withdrawal from Afghanistan? Because this is really the lynchpin to whether there will be an attack, because whether we like it or not, AQ's current military operations are rational in who and what they target.

[gazell]

And the exact same thing will happen in Germany and other european nations as well - and the AQ recognizes this. Our leaders are mercilessly hammering us with the 'need for dialogue' between us and those with radically different values, even when they openly say they hate us and wants to kill us. And we are always reminded that all wrongs in the world, are invariably our fault. That goes for civil wars in africa, poverty and everything that is wrong with the world in general, and all faults of the human race.

So when someone comes here and blows up a train, because they are so 'desperate and outraged over western and zionist crimes' - why shouldn't the public feel that we are to blame ourselves..?

Oh, yeah. It is all our fault actually, I think, for not daring to say, you are welcome if you integrate, otherwise, do us and yourselves a favour and go home.

[muck]

I'm unfamiliar with the political situation in Germany, is there a party that has a viable chance at winning that is advocating withdrawal from Afghanistan? Because this is really the lynchpin to whether there will be an attack, because whether we like it or not, AQ's current military operations are rational in who and what they target.Yeah, some left parties could form a government in autumn and their position would be to withdraw quickly.

[Mackie]

Well this is exactly what happened in Spain.

Two parties in election, one wants to withdraw from Iraq, one wants to stay in Iraq. Then the Madrid bombings happened and the party and the pro-withdrawal party won in a landslide.

With the difference that the socialists and greens in Germany joined the war.
Why should I vote for a party/side to solve the problem which themselves created?

[Macs.]

Well this is exactly what happened in Spain.

Two parties in election, one wants to withdraw from Iraq, one wants to stay in Iraq. Then the Madrid bombings happened and the party and the pro-withdrawal party won in a landslide.

"Landslide" ? The Socialists had 43% and the People's Party 38%.

The majority of Spaniards always was against the Iraq war.


The situation in Germany is different, as we are also talking about Afghanistan and not Iraq. The current political situation in surveys is like this:

CDU: 35%
SPD: 22%
FDP: 16%
Greens: 10%
Left Party: 12%

CDU, SPD, Greens, FDP all were in favor for the Afghanistan deployment, and all voted to make it last longer at the last decision. So, the only party against the deployment is the Left Party and they are small and usually avoided as a coalition partner... The only possible way they could come into a goverment would be if they went into a coaltion with the SPD and Greens, and even if that happened they still would be a junior-partner.

[toki]

^agree, even the greens were pro Afghanistan, so there will be no forced political solution on Afghanistan.

The worrying thing is that it is likely that attacks could be executed by normal looking German nationals (no foreign origin), absolutely invisible. At the moment the press is full of those converts sitting in Afghanistan spreading messages in German.

Than again you have to trust the BKA. What can you do, not much. And panicking and staying home isn't an option. I rarely travel by train, but i would not really avoid it either. Who says they do not use a different approach.

Up to now, the BKA, BGS etc. did a good job in foiling some attempts.

Eric Breininger, on the cover of some magazines at the moment. Idiot doesn't even conceal his identity.
http://fdog.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/breininger2.jpg
http://www.heute.de/ZDFheute/s_img/83/0,6994,7042003-render-L2-,00.jpg

[tea drinker]

Do everything you can to stop these guys, you don't want to give them false hope.

OTOH, so far in Europe, ironically we have a far greater chance of committing suicide than getting killed in a terrorist attack. Which is the bigger problem?

[Atlantic Friend]

Well this is exactly what happened in Spain.

Two parties in election, one wants to withdraw from Iraq, one wants to stay in Iraq. Then the Madrid bombings happened and the party and the pro-withdrawal party won in a landslide.

The fact the pro-stay party crudely tried to use the bombings to tarnish its opponents, claiming it was Basque nationalists when the Spanish police pointed at AQ sure did help in that landslide.

And in the end Spaniards didn't vote because of the bombs, nor was Iraq first and foremost in their minds. Aznar had lost his majority, pure and simple, as happens to every single party every odd election.

[tluassa]

IF there is an attack on German soil by Al-Quaida, the government can very easy point to their sentence "Germany is defended at the Hindukush" - and tell: "We told you, now we have to send more troops". I dont think that Germans see any justification for terror acts by AL-Quaida inside Germany (although some hardcore leftist idiots might say), after all the Bundeswehr has NOT commited any crimes in Afghansitan that would justify terror in Germany. So it would more likely make the Way free for an extension of Germanys commitment in Afghanistan rather than a withdrawal - People understand the argument very well that one can not give in to bomb laying thugs. The ones that suspect Germany of defeatism in front of Terror should look at how we dealt with RAF.

[toki]

Do everything you can to stop these guys, you don't want to give them false hope.

OTOH, so far in Europe, ironically we have a far greater chance of committing suicide than getting killed in a terrorist attack. Which is the bigger problem?
German intelligence already showed that they were on top of it in a few cases now.
The KLM plane, the German convert plotting a giant bomb attack in Frankfurt etc. All foiled. We can only trust them, everything else seems hard to avoid.

I wouldn't pull out statistics like that. Terror attacks can't be measured in statistics.
Imagine: One bomb that wouldn't even kill anybody, but rip open an empty train compartement would have a big pyschological impact. Terrorism attacks the psyche, the physical victims are tragic, but it's not the main goal of terror attacks. It's definitley not the most likely way of dying anyway.

[tea drinker]

German intelligence already showed that they were on top of it in a few cases now.
The KLM plane, the German convert plotting a giant bomb attack in Frankfurt etc. All foiled. We can only trust them, everything else seems hard to avoid.
........
Terrorism attacks the psyche, the physical victims are tragic, but it's not the main goal of terror attacks. It's definitley not the most likely way of dying anyway.

Agreed, I think compacency would have resulted in many deaths, and these successes would have a "copycat" effect in other areas.

[commanding]

Germany has nothing to fear if their leadership is STRONG, and the people are strong also. AQ are basically a very, very very small bunch of chicken sh1ts who kill people for no other reason than to scare people into doing what that want.
stand up Germany and stare the ba$tards down.

[toki]

Germany has nothing to fear if their leadership is STRONG, and the people are strong also. AQ are basically a very, very very small bunch of chicken sh1ts who kill people for no other reason than to scare people into doing what that want.
stand up Germany and stare the ba$tards down.

Actually it has to fear that something happens. It isn't immune.

The point in this thread is that the four most important parties including the Greens(!!!) share most of the basic views on Afghanistan and terrorism. An election won't change that. That is a posiitive sign. This kind of common denominator is rare.
The left party stands out, but who would have thought. They're hardly relevant, since there's enough "left" in two other parties. In that aspect the greens are somewhat important.

The pragmatic solution is simply keeping the guard up in terms of intelligence.

[commanding]

Actually it has to fear that something happens. It isn't immune.


The pragmatic solution is simply keeping the guard up in terms of intelligence.

Absolutely!!....as a country you MUST keep up your guard, and the intelligence must be kept honed to the highest level. My point was keep up the guard, the intelligence, do EVERYTHING you can to prevent any terror attack...but be determined in your outlook, and keep a positive attitude.
(the Boy Scouts have a saying "be prepared" and that is a great motto in these times...be prepared for a terrorist attack as individuals..but show no fear) (no one is immune)

[toki]

Absolutely!!....as a country you MUST keep up your guard, and the intelligence must be kept honed to the highest level. My point was keep up the guard, the intelligence, do EVERYTHING you can to prevent any terror attack...but be determined in your outlook, and keep a positive attitude.
(the Boy Scouts have a saying "be prepared" and that is a great motto in these times...be prepared for a terrorist attack as individuals..but show no fear) (no one is immune)

The boyfriend of a girl at work was involved in the police operation that foiled the last big plot. They observed the perpetrators for half a year and knew everything. In the end they tricked them (switched the chemicals when they were not home, collected enough evidence and busted them). It was the one with three guys planning to bomb German and American institutions in western Germany. They had material for bombs 5 times the ones of Madrid.

Point is, you only realize how much is going on behind the scenes after something is foiled.

[intelligenzija]

The boyfriend of a girl was involved in the police operation that foiled the last big plot. They observed the perpetrators fo half a year and knew everything. In the end they tricked them (switched the chemicals when they were not home, collected enough evidence and busted them). It was the one with three guys planning to bomb German and American institutions in western Germany. They had material for bombs 5 times the ones of Madrid.

those 3 greenhorns weren't able of blasting their own kitchen by themselves. 3 idiots who got all the supplies from intelligence.

Schäuble just tries to scare the German people... I don't buy his crap.

[toki]

those 3 greenhorns weren't able of blasting their own kitchen by themselves. 3 idiots who got all the supplies from intelligence.

Schäuble just tries to scare the German people... I don't buy his crap.

You can't discount those people who are indeed idiots and failures as not dangerous. I would not say that it was simply a case of scare tactics. At times, determination can overcome stupidity.

[Macs.]

those 3 greenhorns weren't able of blasting their own kitchen by themselves. 3 idiots who got all the supplies from intelligence.

Schäuble just tries to scare the German people... I don't buy his crap.

You seem to know alot about this case. :roll:

[toki]

Even idiot terrorists or criminals need people who go after them. What's the logic to laugh them off.
The failure was a result of good police work after all.

[intelligenzija]

You can't discount those people who are indeed idiots and failures as not dangerous. I would not say that it was simply a case of scare tactics.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jbO6KTnR_-v19x4sWi_4YADwWiJw

For me it looks like the German intelligence found 3 stupid youngsters, who fitted in a pattern, gave them the material and busted them afterwards.
This is how it looks like

[toki]

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jbO6KTnR_-v19x4sWi_4YADwWiJw

For me it looks like the German intelligence found 3 stupid youngsters, who fitted in a pattern, gave them the material and busted them afterwards.
This is how it looks like
I'm not showing off here, but i know one individual who took part in this whole operation. And i remember the day, when he called the girlfriend at work who happenes to be my colleague, telling her that he is fine and she could turn the radio on, she would understand. It was an operation that lasted months. And they switched the materials for harmless ones, not the other way around. Btw one officer was injured in a somewhat embarassing matter. But he escaped death. It wasn't childs play with harmelss idiots.

edit: I know it's always kinda lame to discuss like this. "I know somebody", but i don't understand why you think this was fake.

[commanding]

The boyfriend of a girl at work was involved in the police operation that foiled the last big plot. They observed the perpetrators for half a year and knew everything. In the end they tricked them (switched the chemicals when they were not home, collected enough evidence and busted them). It was the one with three guys planning to bomb German and American institutions in western Germany. They had material for bombs 5 times the ones of Madrid.

Point is, you only realize how much is going on behind the scenes after something is foiled.

That is the way to do it!!!! Excellant!! Good intelligence service!!

[intelligenzija]

edit: I know it's always kinda lame to discuss like this. "I know somebody", but i don't understand why you think this was fake.

because secret services don't always tell the truth ;) Read the Verfassungsschutz Berichte from the last few years, for example they say basically say "we don't have evidence that the 9/11 terrorists are from Afghanistan" and "AQ is more or less a virtual organization"

I will send you the files from the official website if you need.

Terrorist threats are useful or politics it's nothing new and it's not a conspiracy theory.

[Mackie]

those 3 greenhorns weren't able of blasting their own kitchen by themselves. 3 idiots who got all the supplies from intelligence.

Schäuble just tries to scare the German people... I don't buy his crap.

Let one "greenhorn" be a engineer and the bomb will explode.
Be sure, German Diploma engineers don't fail. p-)

[JCR]

If you're talking about the "Sauerlandgruppe", I actually SAW those guys once!
Before they moved to that Sauerland Village, they were in Langen/Hessen, where I live.
There's a huge Siedlung (housing project) just down my street where they had a flat or serveral.
I always go jogging in the fields, and since I do it every day, I pretty much know all the joggers and dog owners and farmers you can come across there.
On day, I ran across a group of five joggers, three of them with the usual jihadi style beards. I found it strange because normally Jihadis and other religious fanatics don't do sports.
Two days later I saw three of them again in the fields, this time testing walkie-talkies.
I really thought about reporting all of that to the BKA, but decided against it, because with my typical luck they would've simply suspected me of being a racist or so.
Fortunately the BKA was allready on them at that time and was most likely observing them at the very same moment.
But if these guys had pulled off an attack, I would've felt it was on my conscience.

But of course their bomb making skills were really not exactly top notch.
With the correct chemicals, most likely they would've been Darwin award winners, not jihad martyrs.

Re the original topic, I agree that a major terrorist attack in germany would most likely have the opposite effect of what the terrorists intended

[Herman the II]

Seems Germany is paralyzed by fear and is shaking in its boots...
Youtube is full of nice persiflages....

http://www.youtube.com/v/K3fPg91CMI0&hl=de&fs=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/a8q5C2FmEvQ&hl=de&fs=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/FNRZlsygB4E&hl=de&fs=1

:lol:
Al Kaida can kiss my hairy ass...

[intelligenzija]

Al Kaida can kiss my hairy ass...

the last one was funny, especially the Hertha vympel rofl

[muck]

"we don't have evidence that the 9/11 terrorists are from Afghanistan"How wondrous this statement! :roll:
These terrorists came from Saudi Arabia and Yemen after all.

"AQ is more or less a virtual organization"That's a known fact for years. The real Al Quaeda has not been committing an attack since Djerba in 2002. Does that make the organization less dangerous? Does that make radical Islam less dangerous?

Terrorist threats are useful or politics it's nothing new and it's not a conspiracy theory.The speaker in the video warns that Germany should expect violence in reward for her committment to Afghanistan. In view of the fact that all German parties except for one want to continue that deployment and are in desperate search for good arguments speaking for it one shouldn't think they do really benefit from such a terror threat, huh?

[Mackie]

Sauerland cell confessions could include "surprises"

Four alleged Islamist militants are expected to make formal confessions at their trial. They are accused of belonging to a terrorist organization that was planning to bomb US targets in Germany.

more: http://www.deutsche-welle.de/dw/article/0,,4554284,00.html

According to ZDF their target was to "kill as many as possible US soldiers".