Planned Mumbai-style terror plot on Europe verified by ‘other sources’ too: Intelligence
October 9th, 2010 - 5:56 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Oct 9 (ANI): US and German intelligence officials have said that the claims made by a captured German al Qaeda recruit, Ahmed Siddiqui, about Mumbai-style terror attacks in various cities across Europe, have been verified by other sources.
Siddiqui reportedly told American interrogators at the Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan that Osama bin Laden had personally blessed the plan.
According to ABC News, the officials have said that Siddiqui’s claims have been verified by a second captured German terror recruit and ‘other sources,’ which the officials were reluctant to describe in detail for fear of compromising law enforcement operations.
“There are several different sources, all confirming that there are plots afoot by al Qaeda central, that is to say the Osama bin Laden organization in Pakistan, to do attacks in Europe. Now they don’t have anything that points to the United States yet, but if there were to be simultaneous attacks in Europe, it’s at least possible there would be a simultaneous attack in the United States as well,” Dick Clarke, a former White House national security official, said.
On Thursday, German intelligence officials claimed that about 45 other “potentially dangerous” individuals in Germany were being tracked as officials seek to prevent an attack from taking place.
Siddiqui worked as a cleaner at the Hamburg airport and was a “devout member” of the al-Quds mosque in Hamburg, where Mohammed Atta and other 9/11 hijackers gathered prior to their attack. Siddiqui had been under surveillance since 1997 and left for Pakistan in 2009. The mosque was reportedly closed after his arrest.
The second suspect was identified as Rami Makanesi, a German of Syrian descent, and a “member of the Hamburg group” that was involved in the planned attack. The information given by Makanesi, who is in a prison in Weiterstadt in Germany, somewhat matches with that that Siddiqui told American interrogators, German officials said.
Makanesi was arrested in Pakistan in June and sent to Germany in August, officials said.
Officials in Germany and the United States have said that they are still not aware of any specific
date of the timing of the plot. US officials further said that they believe the plot’s “trigger date” might have been delayed because of the media coverage and government travel alerts. (ANI)
- Britons trained in Pakistan for Mumbai-style attacks - Sep 30, 2010
- Al-Qaeda threatened to unleash "nuclear hellstorm" if Osama is assassinated: Wikileaks - May 03, 2011
- Mumbai-style terror attack cells 'already in Britain', claims Qaeda commander - Oct 05, 2010
- Al Qaeda planning Mumbai-style attacks in Europe, US: CNN - Nov 11, 2010
- Iranian soldier captured in Afghanistan - Dec 24, 2010
- Al Qaeda determined to make 'new history': report - Apr 30, 2012
- Osama ordered Mumbai-style attack on Britain - Oct 02, 2010
- Four jailed in Denmark for Mumbai-style terror plot - Jun 04, 2012
- Osama shares May 1 death with Hitler - May 02, 2011
- Highlights of Obama's speech - May 02, 2011
- Intending underpant bomber was British double agent - May 11, 2012
- `Osama dead but Al Qaeda still dangerous' (Lead) - Apr 30, 2012
- 35 Guantanamo detainees trained as terrorists in London - Apr 26, 2011
- Al Qaeda chief wants '9/11' of his own - Sep 10, 2011
- Germany has become new breeding ground for jihadi Islamic radicals: Report - Oct 13, 2010
Tags: 9 11 hijackers, abc news, al quds, bagram airfield, devout member, dick clarke, german intelligence, hamburg airport, intelligence officials, interrogators, law enforcement operations, mohammed atta, rami, security official, siddiqui, simultaneous attack, simultaneous attacks, terror attacks, terror plot, weiterstadt