Posted on 09/22/2006 7:35:19 AM PDT by Brilliant
Norwegian prosecutors unveiled on Friday evidence against four men detained on suspicion of plotting to blow up the U.S. and Israeli embassies and of participating in a shooting at the Oslo synagogue last weekend.
Prosecutor Unni Fries told a court the Norwegian secret services had bugged the car of the main suspect and recorded conversations between the men planning the attacks.
"They spoke in detail about how to attack the synagogue and the U.S. and Israeli embassies," Fries said, asking the court to detain all four suspects for four weeks without visitors or other contact with the outside world.
Early on Sunday morning at least 10 shots fired from an automatic weapon hit Oslo's only synagogue. No one was hurt in the shooting, the most serious in a string of attacks in recent months on the Nordic country's small Jewish community.
Police have identified the detainees only as men between the ages of 20 and 30. Defense lawyers, who said their clients were innocent, said one suspect was of Turkish origin, two had Pakistani backgrounds and one was a native Norwegian.
Fries said the main suspect had "expressed extreme Islamist views" and was briefly detained during this summer's World Cup by German police, who found drawings of rockets in his car.
During a trip to Britain in June he was reported to have told his girlfriend over the telephone that he "felt that he had to act," Fries said. She did not say whether prosecutors were linking the suspects with any extremist organization.
The U.S. embassy said in a statement that it was watching developments closely and would cooperate fully with Norwegian authorities.
"We are deeply concerned about the emerging information on these planned terrorist attacks," ambassador Ben Whitney said. "This situation reflects the importance of having the necessary legal tools to prevent terrorism."
The four men could face jail terms of up to 12 years if convicted of conspiring to carry out acts of terror.
Norway bump.
Spying on terrorists I am outraged, call John MCCain now!
Shame on us.
Sadly, when I read the title I thought someone had produced a movie about blowing up the embassy.
I certainly hope that they were not frightened, humiliated or caused any mental anguish during questioning. Just wouldn't be cricket!
These are LIES, it is a religion of peace.
you rang?
Obviously a violation of their civil rights.
"...four men detained..."
Four muslims. And they aren't men; they're punks and cowards.
William Rivers Pitt
Did Norway blame Israel yet?
Oh yeah, blame the Jooooz for everything /sarc
No inside information, of course, but there are hints that it may not have been the Norway police who initiated the surveillance.
There was that earlier phone call in Britain.
And there was the US Ambassador's apparent reference to NSA surveillance that the New York Times treasonously leaked a while back, and possibly a warning slap at McCain and company not to interfere with the methods we use to protect our country against such threats.
No doubt McCain will be lodging a protest against Norway any moment now.
Muslims? Where does it say they're Muslims? They are probably Baptists. /sarcasm
were they given the Miranda rights first....and food and water....
...jail terms of up to 12 years...?
Does anyone think this is sufficient punishment for conspiracy to murder perhaps hundreds?
What a great name.
Thanks!
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