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Plan foiled: terrorsits strike at nuclear target in Belgium
Dagblad Trouw ^ | Augustus 30 2002 | Kustaw Bessems

Posted on 08/30/2002 9:28:47 AM PDT by knighthawk

AMSTERDAM - According the Dutch justice department a group of muslim-extremists arrested in Rotterdam plotted an attack on a nuclear target, just across the Belgian border with the Netherlands. It looks that they were not able to plan much of the operation, but for the justice department this information could be of great importance in the case against this group.

A French and an Algerian man that were arrested two days after September 11 in Rotterdam, and an Algerian ex-roommate that was later arrested in Canada, planned an attack on the NATO-base 'Kleine Brogel' in Flamish Limburg. At that base, somewhat to the south of Valkenswaard, are rumored to be ten American nuclear weapons.

Already in October an officer of the French department of justice announced that intelligence services had evidence that al-Qaeda was planning an attack on a nuclear target in the US or Europe. The airspace above American nuclear powerplants was closed for a while and France placed anti-aircraft weapons near it's nuclear plants. Experts agree that al-Qaeda is trying to somehow top the destruction of the World Trade Center.

That the 'Kleine Brogel' was a target, so close to the Netherlands, is frightening. But it's not said that the Netherlands escaped a disaster. The suspects belong, according to the AIVD (Dutch security service), to the radical islamic movement Takfir wal Hidjra, important within the al-Qaeda network of Osama bin Laden. In these circles, planning attacks is a daily occupation. This does not lead to action every time. There is a lot of fantacizing.

An attack on 'Kleine Brogel' was also very difficult. The nuclear weapons are well secured. But an attack on a nuclear target would have caused a lot of panic, and therefor could be effective even without destroying the base.

The question is what the role of the suspects arrested in Rotterdam was. Until now it looked like they only were involved in passports and credit-card forgery. And they also 'knew' a lot of people. Jerôme C. once lived together with Zaccarias Moussaoui, the 'twentiest hijacker', that is being held in the US. There were phone-calls with Nizar T., an Tunisian man from Brussels that wanted to bomb the American embassy in Paris. From them the information about the attack on the NATO-base orginates.

Until now it looked like the justice department in Rotterdam only arrested a supporting cell, low in the al-Qaeda hierarchy. Monday, when Jerôme C., Abdelkader R. and Adel T. reappear in court, the DA-office will make clear what their role in the planned 'Kleine Brogel'-attack was.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 20010913; algerian; alqaeda; alqaida; belgian; belgium; courtailler; flamishlimburg; jeromec; kleinebrogel; milbaseplots; moussaoui; muslimextremists; natobase; nizartrabelsi; nuclearweapons; rotterdam; rotterdamcell; rotterdamplot; takfirwalhidjra; terrorists; terrosists; trabelsi; zacariasmoussaoui; zaccariasmoussaoui
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Wow, that's all too close for comfort for me. I live in the Dutch part of Limburg, not too far away from Valkenswaard!

Suspects in Rotterdam had videotapes Bin Laden (Holland)
Canada: Terror suspect to be deported
Canada Extradited Bombing Plot Suspect; Held in Dutch Jail

1 posted on 08/30/2002 9:28:47 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: MizSterious; rebdov; Nix 2; green lantern; BeOSUser; Brad's Gramma; dreadme; keri; Turk2; ...
Ping
2 posted on 08/30/2002 9:29:31 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: knighthawk
I live in the Dutch part of Limburg

Wow! would that be the home of Limburger cheese?

sorry, the devil made me do it. I LOVE Limburger cheese!

3 posted on 08/30/2002 9:34:42 AM PDT by EggsAckley
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To: knighthawk
I was wondering if this was close to you--and it was! OMG, knighthawk, keep safe.
4 posted on 08/30/2002 9:34:53 AM PDT by Catspaw
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To: knighthawk
They want a holy war with all the other religions of the world and they won't stop until they get it.

They should be careful what they wish for since islam will become extinct.

5 posted on 08/30/2002 9:38:17 AM PDT by Bikers4Bush
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To: knighthawk
With all its anti-Americanism, Europe seems to think their safe from these madmen.

They'll find out to their detriment that it ain't so. They're christian countries and they're on the hit list as well.

6 posted on 08/30/2002 9:43:54 AM PDT by America's Resolve
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To: knighthawk
At that base, somewhat to the south of Valkenswaard, are rumored to be ten American nuclear weapons.

I'd be really surprised if this were true. First, I don't think we'd deploy nukes there and secondly, I can't imagine that Belgium would allow us to.

That said, good job by the Dutch authorities for taking these guys off the street.

7 posted on 08/30/2002 9:47:13 AM PDT by facedown
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To: Catspaw
I will, thanks.
8 posted on 08/30/2002 9:49:53 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: facedown
I don't know if it's true, but they heard it somewhere.
9 posted on 08/30/2002 9:51:55 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: knighthawk
Knighthawk you stay safe...
10 posted on 08/30/2002 9:52:59 AM PDT by Dog
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To: Travis McGee; MadIvan
You seen this?
11 posted on 08/30/2002 9:53:54 AM PDT by Dog
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To: knighthawk
There is a VERY important reason why the names of those in custody NOT be revealed. Please think long and hard before you attack Ashcroft for keeping secret the names of those in custody.
12 posted on 08/30/2002 9:57:59 AM PDT by OldFriend
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To: knighthawk
In these circles, planning attacks is a daily occupation. This does not lead to action every time. There is a lot of fantacizing.

That's comforting. They just sit around all day planning attacks, but most of the time they don't do it. < /sarcasm>

If the authorities know this much, wouldn't it be a good idea to GET THEM OUT!?

13 posted on 08/30/2002 9:59:13 AM PDT by xJones
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: knighthawk
"An attack on 'Kleine Brogel' was very difficult."

Not if the U.S. military has let the terrorists inside.

Al Qaida In The Ranks? Non-citizen (Naval) reservist suspected of ties to terrorist network.

15 posted on 08/30/2002 10:10:18 AM PDT by 4Freedom
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To: knighthawk
I guess these terrorsits were really series. ;-)

Scary stuff, though from the sounds of it this would probably have been more a propaganda attack than anything else.

16 posted on 08/30/2002 10:37:59 AM PDT by r9etb
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To: Dog
I will.
17 posted on 08/30/2002 10:40:04 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: OldFriend
Here in the Netherlands names of criminals are never written in full. Not even when almost everybody knew the full name of the killer of Pim Fortuyn. It took a while before the papers printed his full name.
18 posted on 08/30/2002 10:41:37 AM PDT by knighthawk
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To: Bikers4Bush
They want a holy war with all the other religions of the world and they won't stop until they get it. They should be careful what they wish for since islam will become extinct.

I think you are absolutely 100% on the money. Their publicly expressed goal it to rule the entire world in the name of Islam. They literally intend to force their religion upon us, or kill us if we refuse.

OK, to a simple man like me, this is the same thing as declaring yourself to be my mortal enemy. Fine, I'm already packing my hollowpoints with bacon fat. But please explain how to distinguish between the "Islam/Religion of Peace" Muslims and the Jihadis, because they really do all look the same to me.

Who knows, maybe the only way to tell a good Muslim will be if he has converted to Christianity. Or if he's on a slab with a tag on his toe.

19 posted on 08/30/2002 10:55:39 AM PDT by Kenton
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To: knighthawk
Do not celebrate to loudly my friends. The goods guys have to win them all. The terrorists only have to win one. This is nothing more than an indication that we have a long difficult war to fight.
20 posted on 08/30/2002 11:03:55 AM PDT by Klein-Bottle
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