Syrian Terror Plot in Germany (2016)
In June 2016, German authorities arrested three Syrian men linked to a plot for a terrorist attack in Düsseldorf, believed to be connected to a cell of the Islamic State (ISIS). The investigation had been aided by the earlier arrest of a fourth suspect, Saleh A., in France, who informed police about the planned attack. This incident heightened concerns related to the influx of Syrian refugees into Germany, following Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision to accept over one million asylum seekers amid the Syrian civil war. The suspects, who had entered Germany posing as refugees, were reportedly planning to execute a coordinated attack involving suicide bombers. The arrests fueled ongoing debates within Germany about the challenges of integrating immigrants and the perceived risks associated with terrorism. As tensions rose, some officials warned that such plots could further exacerbate divisions and distrust towards the refugee community. Despite these concerns, it was reported that the planned attack was not imminent at the time of the arrests. This incident reflects broader socio-political dynamics surrounding migration and security in contemporary Europe.
Syrian Terror Plot in Germany (2016)
Date: June 2, 2016
Place: Germany; France
Summary
In June 2016, German police arrested three Syrian men suspected of being involved in a plan to launch a terrorist attack in the German city of Düsseldorf. A fourth suspect involved in the plot had surrendered to police in France in February. The terror plot, believed to be connected to a cell of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorists that may have included as many as ten individuals, exacerbated tensions in Germany regarding the nation’s influx of Syrian refugees.
Key Events
- February 1, 2016—Syrian national Saleh A. is detained by French authorities and provides information about a planned terrorist attack on Germany.
- June 2, 2016—Three Syrian men are arrested in Germany in connection with an ISIS-linked plot to attack Düsseldorf.
Status
The contemporary struggle to integrate Syrian and Iraqi immigrants remains one of Germany’s most controversial issues. Among the developments, in August 2016, German legislators proposed a new bill that would require doctors to report their patients to authorities if they believe they may be terrorists. Critics argue that such a law violates doctor-patient confidentiality. In July 2016, eighteen-year-old Iranian German David Sonboly (also known as Ali Sonboly) opened fire inside Olympia Mall in Munich, killing ten people before taking his own life. News outlets initially speculated that Sonboly might have been involved with the jihadist movement, but later evidence indicated that Sonboly was targeting individuals of Turkish or Middle Eastern descent and believed himself to be a representative of Germany’s Aryan race.
In-Depth Overview
The political and humanitarian crisis in Syria began in March 2011 when thousands of Syrians gathered in pro-democracy protests in the southern city of Daraa. Security forces attempted to subdue protestors, leading to sporadic fighting that gradually developed into a full-scale civil war. Thousands of Syrians crossed the Syrian borders into neighboring nations looking for political asylum. By August 2015, the United Nations estimated that 250,000 people had been killed in the crisis, with more than 4.5 million people having fled Syria, and another 6.5 million individuals displaced internally. In addition to war between pro-democracy rebels and the Bashar al-Assad–controlled government, the terrorist group ISIS emerged in the region in 2013 and has become one of the world’s most violent extremist organizations, launching attacks against targets in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
In August 2015, German chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Germany would accept more than one million refugees from Syria. In 2015 alone, Germany admitted more than 1 million asylum seekers. Though a majority of Germans initially rallied behind Merkel’s proposal, over the following year, the nation became divided on the issue. While Merkel has continued to stand behind her policies, opponents argue that Syrian and Iraqi refugees pose a danger to German citizens and argue that millions of refugees will change German culture.
On June 2, 2016, police announced they had arrested three individuals in connection with a planned terrorist attack targeting the downtown area of Düsseldorf. The suspects were identified as Hamza C. (twenty-seven years old), Mahood B. (twenty-five years old), and Abd Arahman A. K. (thirty-one years old). According to the German federal prosecutor’s office, twenty-five-year-old Saleh A., a fourth suspect, had been in custody in France since February and had provided information that led to the arrest of the other three.
Information given by Saleh A. indicated that he and Hamza C. joined ISIS in Syria in the spring of 2014; they were ordered to carry out an attack in Düsseldorf’s Heinrich-Heine-Allee street, using suicide bombers equipped with explosive vests. After the suicide bombers detonated their explosives, additional fighters were to open fire on crowds, killing as many individuals as possible. In 2015, Saleh A. and Hamza C. entered Germany, where they recruited Mahood B. Abd Arahman A. K., a known terrorist and explosives manufacturer who worked for the radical Nusra Front in Syria and came to Germany in 2014.
Hamza C. was arrested in Bliesdorf when he tried to collect a refugee benefit check. The two others were apprehended separately at their homes in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Wurttemberg. The next day, press reports indicated that all three had been living at refugee shelters and posing as asylum seekers. Police also announced they were searching for six other individuals alleged to be part of a ten-person cell. Fearing that the incident would inspire further distrust and possibly violence against refugees, Rainer Wendt, head of the German police union, said in news reports that ISIS was hoping to influence the immigration debate by turning the German people against the refugees and thus fostering violence and animosity between the two groups. Police reports also revealed that the three individuals arrested in Germany had all been under surveillance and that the planned attack was not imminent at the time of their arrest.
Key Figures
Saleh A.: Syrian man arrested in France who provided information that led to the arrest of individuals involved in a Germany terrorist cell.
Abd Arahman A. K.: One of three men arrested in connection with a planned terrorist attack on Düsseldorf, Germany. Believed to have connections to both ISIS and the Syrian jihadist organization Nusra Front and to have been involved in manufacturing explosive weapons for the group.
Mahood B.: One of three men arrested in connection with a planned ISIS attack on Düsseldorf, Germany, believed to be a supporter but not a member of ISIS.
Hamza C.: One of three individuals implicated in a planned terrorist attack on Düsseldorf, Germany, believed to be an active member of ISIS.
Angela Merkel: Chancellor of Germany who spearheaded the movement to welcome almost one million refugees into Germany.
Bibliography
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Germany arrests Syrian IS suspects over Duesseldorf plot. (2016, June 2). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36435422
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Troianovski, A., & Turner, Z. (2016, June 2). Germany arrests three in suspected Islamic State plot to attack Düsseldorf. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/germany-arrests-3-syrians-over-terror-attack-plot-on-busy-dusseldorf-street-1464872522