Three arrests linked to video threat by Islamic militants
Two men and a woman with suspected contacts to al-Qaida were arrested today in connection with an online video threat by Islamic militants against Austria and Germany in March, officials said today.
Interior Minister Guenther Platter said the three – all second-generation Austrian citizens with Arab origins – were aged between 20 and 26.
He said they were believed to have contacts to al-Qaida but offered no details, saying he did not want to prejudice investigations.
“At no point was a direct threat against Austria discernible,” Platter told reporters. House Public Security chief Erik Buxbaum said: “We had no indication that a terrorist act was planned.”
Platter said two of the three were a couple. House searches were continuing, he added. The three suspects are being interviewed, he said.
In a web statement that surfaced in March, Islamic militants threatened to attack Germany and Austria unless the two nations broke ranks with the US and withdrew their personnel from Afghanistan.
An unidentified speaker, whose face was blurred, said about 2,750 German soldiers in Afghanistan will “not be safe from attacks” by the Taliban and al-Qaida fighters in the war-torn nation.
He also threatened that the militants will carry out attacks in Austria and against Austrian personnel in Afghanistan.
“Austria has always been one of the most safe countries in Europe depending on tourism both in summer and winter,” the unidentified speaker said.
“But if it doesn’t withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, it may be among targeted nations.”
The tape also featured a portion of an old video of al-Qaida’s deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahri threatening Western countries with attacks.
Germany has no troops in Iraq, but it does have troops serving with the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, most of them in the north of the country.
Austria also has no troops in Iraq and has just four officers in Afghanistan.
