Terrorism Jihadist allegedly threatened an attack on Bonn

Bonn · According to security sources, a sought after Jihadist who was in Syria has allegedly made threats of an attack in Bonn.

According to security sources, a Jihadist who went to Syria has allegedly made threats of an attack against Bonn. A bombing attempt at the Bonn central train station in December of 2012 did not succeed, but the risk seems to be very concrete again. General Anzeiger (GA) has learned from reliable security sources that Bonn is once more in view for a radical Islamist. Apparently, there is an arrest warrant out for the man. The alleged terrorist apparently wanted to return here after his time in Syria. More information was not made available so as to not endanger the investigation.

Press spokespersons for both the Bonn police and the North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) Interior Ministry, however said there were no concrete threats. “In the past there has been time and again persons from the Salafist scene who are connected to Bonn, and they have threatened with attacks against Bonn,” according to Bonn police spokesman Robert Scholten.

He is alluding to Bonn Jihadists Yassin Chouka, who joined the Jihad in Afghanistan in 2007, and had repeatedly called for attacks without naming specific locations. There was also Bekkay Harrach of Neu-Tannenbusch who made threats in 2009 but he has since been killed.

Investigators had been surprised by the attempted bomb attack at the Bonn central station in 2010. Marco C. was arrested for that and is now facing trial in Düsseldorf at the Higher Regional Court. He also lived in Tannenbusch until his arrest.

According to Scholten, there are Islamists who are under observation – “also in Bad Godesberg and Tannenbusch” – but investigations have often lead police to north Bonn. An insider says Tannenbusch is a breeding ground for criminals and radicals. This stems partly from the social structure but also from the design of the high-rise buildings. “Their underground garages are linked and they can go from one building to the other without being seen.”

Further complicating matters, according to the insider, an entire building was searched once for a suspect but on each floor there was the same name written on every doorbell. Searchers would ring one doorbell and the residents would send them to the neighbors. “The people do not speak to state authorities.” He also charges that security is technically lacking and says it wasn’t right for NRW state government to criticize Belgian police because they also wouldn’t recognize these terrorist cells in NRW.

Herman-Josef Borjans of the German police union says, “I have a concern that the district of Tannenbusch is slipping away if we don’t so something.” He sees responsibility at the city council level. Authorities must develop and execute a concept for youth and social work. Deputy spokesman for the city, Marc Hoffman comments, “The problem of radicalization of young people is a total social phenomenon. It cannot be attached to singular districts.” Despite its many problems, Tannenbusch has social work that is functioning, and he cites the example of “Soziale Stadt” (social city) which he believes is on a good path.

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